Glorious Day
by merderfanseriously
Summary: A MerDer Story. Derek and Meredith as parents. Was a one shot, but now it's chapters!
1. A New Family

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, nor any of the characters. If I did, there'd be a lot more MerDer action and a McBaby or two by now…..

**Derek Shepherd was high. Not drug high, but high on life. He'd always thought he was on a high after a successful surgery where he'd saved someone's life, but that high didn't compare to how Derek was feeling now. He decided that as he gazed into the nursery window where his three hour old son lay sleeping peacefully in his basinet. It was a glorious day in Seattle (okay, minus the rain), because after years of patience and waiting, Derek Shepherd had finally become a father. He dreamed of this day as long as he could remember and he thought about how it would feel, but nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He was high. Derek's heart ached with love for his baby boy, and for the woman who was half responsible for this glorious day resting in her room down the hall. Derek watched a nurse walk over to his son's basinet, gently pick him up, and hold him towards the window so that Derek could get a better look. Derek scanned his baby, silently relieved that his boy inherited his mother's nose. Derek smiled when the nurse took the blue hat off his head giving Derek a glimpse of the thick, curly dark hair that covered his head. Derek made a mental note to stock up on hair care products, because another Shepherd would be in need of them soon…to prevent the afro.**

**He watched the nurse place his baby back in his basinet and look up at him through the window. The nurse mouthed to Derek "bath" and motioned for him to enter the nursery. Derek smiled at the thought of witnessing his son's first bath and made his way into the nursery. He quietly walked over to his son's basinet as the nurse set up the accessories needed to bathe him. Derek looked at the name tag that was taped to his son's basinet that read "Baby Boy Shepherd". His eyes ventured down to his recorded "weight at birth" of eight pounds, two ounces (thanks to Meredith's wicked cravings of strawberry ice cream and potato chips, he bet) and recorded "length at birth" of twenty inches long (not too long). But what really caught Derek's eye was who was listed under "Parents of Baby". Derek and Meredith Shepherd….they were parents, the name tag said turned to the nurse and asked quietly "Can I pick him up?"The nurse gave a small laugh and a nod. "Of course, Dr. Shepherd, he's your baby".Derek smiled sheepishly and gently maneuvered his hands under his son, lifted him, and cradled him into his chest. The baby let out a small squeak and a big sigh, but continued sleeping peacefully. Derek nuzzled the baby's cheek with his nose and inhaled his scent. He smelled like brand new."Enjoy the quiet now, because in a few minutes he'll be screaming bloody murder" the nurse laughed. Derek looked at her questioningly. She smiled at him. "Most babies hate baths, especially the first few times". Derek nodded in understanding and gently put his son back into his basinet. The nurse stepped in and unwrapped the baby from his warm cocoon of blankets. That action caused the baby to open his eyes and Derek was able to catch a quick glimpse at the color. Dark blue. The nurse glanced at Derek for a moment as Derek touched the silky smooth hair on the baby's head."He looks like you. A lot. He has some of Dr. Grey's features, too, but he's definitely your son, no doubt". Derek's heart swelled at the nurse's comment and he looked down at his son, who was now in just his diaper. He looked at the remaining umbilical cord stump that was attached to his son's belly button. He thought back to three hours earlier in the delivery room when the doctor asked him if he wanted to cut the cord. **

_**Derek stood at the foot of Meredith's bed, eyes wide at the sight before him. "It's a boy!" Dr. Warner had proclaimed as he lay the baby on Meredith's stomach. The baby was crying heartily as the nurse began to wipe him off. Derek watched Meredith's shocked face as she looked down at the baby, looked up at him, and then looked at the baby again. Dr. Warner handed Derek the scissors to cut his son's umbilical cord. Derek reached for the scissors with shaking hands as the doctor showed him where to cut between the clamps. Derek cut the cord and handed the scissors back to the doctor. "Derek! It's a boy!" Meredith stated, finding her voice as she peered between the baby legs. Derek looked at her questioningly. Meredith shrugged, "You never know with my crappy DNA. I need to make sure he's got all his parts" she stated as she examined his fingers and toes, counting up to ten, twice. "Don't worry, Mer, he's got all his parts. He's a Shepherd" he winked at her. Meredith looked at him and rolled her eyes. "OK, Dr. Grey, we need to take this little guy over to the warmer to get his body temperature stabilized and he'll be back with you in a few minutes," said the nurse. The nurse took the baby from Meredith and carried him to the baby warmer. Derek and Meredith watched the nurse put Vitamin K drops in his eyes and finish suctioning his nose and mouth. They smiled at each other as they listened to their son protest to what was happening to him by wailing at the top of his lungs. Derek had never heard a more wonderful sound. The nurse then proceeded to diaper him and wrap him in a cocoon of blankets. Derek shifted his attention to Meredith and stared lovingly at her. "He's beautiful" she whispered to him as she anxiously awaited the nurse to return her son to her arms. Derek smiled back at her and leaned into kiss her lips. "He's perfect," he whispered to her "you are perfect. I love you". The nurse made her way back over to them with their son. She placed him in Meredith's felt tears forming in his eyes and saw that Meredith had begun to cry. He kissed her again on her lips and forehead and they both shifted their attention to their beautiful baby boy in Meredith's arms.**_

"**You'll want to keep his belly button dry, until the stump falls off" the nurse informed Derek, snapping him back into reality. "Until it comes off, a sponge bath will be fine". Derek nodded at the new information given to him and made a mental note to tell Meredith that fact when she woke later."OK, handsome, lets get you all cleaned up so you can go see your Mommy," she cooed at the baby. The nurse lay the baby on a towel and wet a cloth in the basin beside her. She began to wipe away the remaining vernex that lay in the cracks and wrinkles of his body. The baby startled at that action and began to whimper softly. Derek, who was watching every move the nurse made, gave the baby his finger to hold to comfort him. As the nurse continued to clean him, the baby's tolerance ended and the whimper turned into a hearty cry. The nurse looked amusingly at Derek and said "Nice set of lungs". Derek leaned closely into the baby and whispered in his ear "Hey, buddy. It's OK. Daddy's here and you'll see Mommy soon. It's OK, shhhh". The baby's cries downgraded to a whimper as he moved his head to follow the voice."He knows your voice," the nurse observed. Derek smiled and nodded.**

"_**What if it's a girl, Derek?" Meredith asked as she looked up from the book she was reading. Well, half reading, as she was listening to yet another conversation between Derek and their unborn baby about how Derek would take him fishing the minute he was able to sit up and hold a fishing pole. "You keep referring to the baby as 'he', what if 'he' turns out to be a girl"?Derek had looked up at her, almost annoyed that she had interrupted his conversation with his baby. "So?" He had stated. "Girls can fish, too." Derek turned back to continue talking to Meredith's stomach. Meredith rolled her eyes and shifted her eyes back to the book she was reading, careful not to interrupt Daddy and baby bonding time again.**_

**After his bath, Derek was able to calm down his son by gently talking to him and holding him tightly in his arms. The baby found his fist and began sucking on it loudly. The nurse finished cleaning up after his bath and came over to Derek in the chair. "He's probably hungry. If you want, you can go and wake your wife and I'll bring him down to you in a few minutes". Derek looked at his son for a moment and then nodded his head. He lay him gently into the basinet and whispered "I'll be right down the hall" and turned to leave the nursery. Derek turned back around and thanked the nurse for everything and then made his way down the hall to Meredith's room. He quietly opened the door and was greeted by the sound of light snoring. He smiled to himself as he walked into the room and made his way to Meredith's bed. He leaned into her and kissed her softly. He watched her slowly come from the sleep that she was in, open her eyes and focus on him. He stared at her for a few seconds. "Hey, Mommy. How are you feeling?" he asked her softly. Meredith looked puzzled for a moment and then a look of realization crossed her face. She looked around the room frantically for her son. **

"**Derek, where is he? Is he alright?" she asked, slightly alarmed. **

"**Meredith, he's fine. Really, he is. The nurse will be bringing him by to eat shortly," he touched his hand to her cheek and looked at her adoringly. Meredith sat up a little more straight in her bed, wincing slightly. "Are you ok?" he asked.**

"**I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Crap.." she moaned.**

"**Well, I've seen the product that came out of there," his hand touched her deflated stomach, "and I can see why you feel that way. He's huge!" Derek smiled with pride at the thought of his healthy son. He leaned in and kissed her forehead.**

"**Derek, what does he look like? I know I saw him, but he had all that crap on him and babies change their looks all the time. Please, tell me he's still cute," she pleaded.**

**Derek laughed slightly. "Meredith, he's beautiful. I've never seen a baby cuter than him. I'm not just saying that because he's my boy. It's true. Ask the nurse. She says he looks like me, and he has my hair". He grinned widely and wiggled his eyebrows at her. Meredith rolled her eyes at him. Just then, they heard a slight knock on the door.**

"**You've got a visitor," the nurse said cheerfully as she pushed their son into Meredith's hospital room. Meredith's eyes lit up at the sight of him. The baby was wide awake, sucking loudly on his fist. Derek walked over to his basinet, gently picked him up, kissed his cheek and walked him over to Meredith who was eagerly awaiting him. "Give me the baby" she demanded. Derek placed their son into her arms and watched Meredith's face change from anticipation to delight as she gazed at him. "Derek, he's beautiful," she whispered. "Hi my little gorgeous man. You itty bitty boy. I'm your mommy and I've waited forever to see you. Yes I did, I did" Meredith cooed in her best baby voice. "You are the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Daddy and I love you very, very much and we are very, very happy that you're finally here." Meredith showered him with kisses on his forehead, nose and cheeks. **

**She looked up at Derek with tears in her eyes. "Am I dreaming?" she whispered to Derek as tears started to flow down her cheeks. He wiped the tears from her face and said, "If you are dreaming, I'm dreaming, too. Let's make a deal not to pinch each other so we wake up". He touched the baby's velvety skin and sighed, putting his cheek to the top of Meredith's head. They both watched in amazement as the baby squirmed in his mother's arms and began to cry. "What's wrong with him?" Meredith demanded.**

"**He's hungry, dear," the nurse replied. "He's ready to be fed".**

"**Oh," Meredith said with a slight panic. "Ummm, I'm not really sure..I mean…I know how he's fed…um..but, but.. I don't know how…to…to get him there." Meredith bit her lip nervously. The nurse smiled and walked to Meredith's side. "It's simple, dear. Once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake". She moved the baby in Meredith's arms, putting him in position to feed. "You'll want him to latch on right at the nipple. If he latches at an angle, you will get sore". Meredith pulled the side of her gown down as the nurse assisted her with bringing the baby to her breast. Meredith watched him as he opened is mouth slightly, as if he knew what to do. The nurse pushed him slightly into his mother where he latched on perfectly and began to eat. Meredith looked at Derek, who was observing closely behind the nurse with a slight smile to his lips. "That's it?" she asked. **

"**That's it" the nurse smiled. Meredith looked down at her son, who was preoccupied with his lunch. Derek moved closer to the bed and kissed her lips. "Yep, he's definitely a Shepherd" he said with a sly grin. Meredith rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to her son.**

**The nurse went over with Meredith and Derek how to successfully remove him from her breast, when to change sides while feeding and when to burp him. She excused herself from the room, reminding them to push the nurse call button if they needed her for anything else. **

"**Derek, are you sure he doesn't come with a manual or something? This is a lot to learn. I feel like I've crammed more information in my brain today than I ever did for my intern exam". Meredith looked nervously at him for an answer. Derek looked at her and smiled "Mer, we'll be fine. We're doctors so we've got the brains to figure this out on our own. Besides, he seems to like us. " He looked down at his son who had fallen asleep after his meal.**

"**Well, we should have a hotline number to call. Like a 24-hour baby question number thing or whatever. Call day or night with a problem and the person on the other line will tell you how to fix it, like they offer for broken computers and things" Meredith said seriously.**

**Derek laughed. "Mer, we do have a hotline to call when we have a problem. It's called 1-800-GRANDMA. Mom would be happy to help us if we're stuck, she'd enjoy it even. We're lucky, though, because that hotline lady will be helping us in person for the next month." He reached toward his son, motioning for Meredith to hand him over. Meredith reluctantly allowed him to take the baby from her, but frowned at him. "You will need to share him, you know. He's mine, too". Derek smirked at her as he swaddled his son. "I'll make you a deal, I'll let you hold him while you feed him" he offered.**

"**Whatever, Derek," Meredith grumbled. "It's a deal only if you have permanent diaper duty. When is your mom arriving, anyway?"**

"**Her plane is scheduled to land at noon. Mark left about a half hour ago to pick her up. She'll be here soon". **

_**Meredith listened to the ringing of the phone as she waited for the person she was calling to pick up. She ran a hand over her very swollen belly nervously. "Hello?" the person said on the other side of the call.**_

"_**Hi, Carolyn, it's Meredith. How are you doing?" Meredith swallowed nervously. Even after Derek and she married over a year ago, she still became nervous when talking to his mother. **_

"_**Meredith! I am so glad to hear from you! How are you? How are you feeling?" Carolyn asked.**_

"_**I'm good, good" Meredith stammered. "Big as a house, but I'm doing well. The baby moves all the time, sometimes too much. I'm ready for this to be over".**_

_**Carolyn chuckled. "It will be over soon enough and then you'll have a precious baby to care for. How is Derek? Is he taking good care of you and the baby?"**_

"_**Yes, Yes, Derek is wonderful. He rubs my feet and back all the time, gets me food I crave, cooks for me…I couldn't ask for anyone more wonderful" Meredith smiled at the thought of her wonderful husband's attentiveness to her and her needs.**_

"_**Meredith, you've given him everything he wants. He's wanted to be a father for so long, and now you're giving him that. You've made him the happiest man in the world." **_

_**Meredith smiled. "Well, just between us," she said jokingly, "I secretly think that he's trying to butter me up for more Shepherd babies. He thinks giving me special treatment now will be a reminder of how attentive he is when I'm pregnant when he hints me up for baby number two".**_

_**Carolyn laughed at Meredith's comment. "He's always wanted a big family. He'll make a great father, that's for sure."**_

_**Meredith cleared her throat, remembering why she had called in the first place. Although she loved the idea of being a mother, it was still a very overwhelming thought. Carolyn had dropped the hint several times throughout her pregnancy that she would be more than willing to come to Seattle to help when the baby came if that would be something that Meredith would want. At the time, Meredith had pushed the idea aside, not giving it much thought. Now, as she was days away from giving birth and scared out of her wits on how clueless she was about babies, Carolyn's offer sounded like heaven. "Carolyn, my doctor said that the baby is in position and should be coming any day." She paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. "I don't know much about babies..I mean…Derek does..he knows a lot from his nephews and nieces….but he can only get a week off work…and…and, I'm scared to death of the idea of being alone with a baby….what if I drop it, or put it down somewhere and forget where I put it…I haven't talked much to Derek about how scared I am…I don't want him to think I'm crazy or whatever…." Meredith paused again.**_

"_**Meredith, Derek will not think you are crazy for having fears," Carolyn stated. "Every parent has fears before their baby is born. It's completely normal". **_

"_**I'm hoping that your offer still stands about coming to Seattle. I don't know the first thing about diapers or how much a baby should poop…Can…Can you maybe help me for awhile until I get the hang of it? I already talked to Derek and he said that he was fine with it…he's happy for you to come. Please say you'll come..if you can't, I understand completely…I could ask my person, Christina, to help, but when I mention it to Derek, his eyes get as big as golf balls…and the more I think about it, Christina is more clueless than me when it comes to babies…oh, crap". Meredith let out a nervous breath.**_

"_**Meredith, I would be happy to come and help you take care of my grandchild. You just give me the word when that little angel arrives and I'm on the next flight."**_

"_**Really?" Meredith sighed in relief. "You would really come to Seattle on such short notice?"**_

"_**Dear, this is my grandchild we are talking about, and my children. Of course I will come. And since we're swapping secrets about Derek, I will tell you that he called me last week telling me to be on standby because he anticipated a 'Meredith freak-out' in the near future. I've had a suitcase packed for a week and tickets on hold at the airport."**_

"_**Derek did what?" she squeaked. Carolyn laughed at Meredith's reaction.**_

"_**He called after Lamaze class last Monday night. You had gone to bed already. He said that at Lamaze class, everyone was going around talking about what they were most scared of in regards to childbirth and caring for a baby. Derek said you were last to talk and got to hear all the other parent's fears, which apparently added a lot more fears to your list. Derek said as each one spoke, your eyes got bigger and your mouth hung open more. When it was your turn to talk, you stood up and fled the room."**_

"_**I…I…had to use the restroom…" Meredith protested. "I was just coincidence that I couldn't hold it anymore when it was my turn to talk, not the fact that the topics being discussed were sore nipple, hemorrhoids, and episiotomies" Meredith sighed.**_

"_**Meredith, I've been there. I know what you're feeling. I was a first time mom once, too. And I can assure you that all the feelings that you are feeling are normal. When I was pregnant with Kathleen, I felt so sorry for her because I thought I was incompetent as a mother. It gets easier, I promise. Now, you have Derek call me when that grandbaby of mine makes an appearance and I'm on my way."**_

"_**Thank you, Carolyn, for everything. Derek and I really appreciate you doing this for us".**_

"_**You're welcome," Carolyn replied. "Oh, and Meredith…..Thank you for finding my son…you make him so happy….you're perfect together".**_

**Meredith's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Hello" a familiar voice said. "Are you up for some company?"**

"**Hi Iz, yes come in, please," Meredith said, adjusting herself on the bed so Derek could sit beside her.**

"**Well, I'm not alone..I brought a few people with me." She walked in, immediately followed by Christina and Alex. All but Christina made a bee line for the baby's basinet. Christina hopped on the bottom of Meredith's bed and stared at her for a moment.**

"**What?" Meredith asked, scrunching up her forehead. **

"**You look different, weird different, almost Mommy-like," Christina replied. "I would have never pegged you to change your look to the Mommy type, but here you are, all Mommy-fied". Christina crossed her arms over chest and seemed to wait for an explanation.**

_**Meredith was exhausted...and suddenly, Meredith needed to puke. She had just made it to the hospital to start her forty eight hour shift and the wave of nausea started again the moment she entered the resident's lounge. She barely made it to the restroom as she reintroduced herself to the breakfast that Derek had made her before she left the house that morning. At the time, the food looked so much more appealing as it was making its way into her body and not back out. She moaned pathetically as she sat on her knees waiting for the next wave to hit her. She heard a knock at the door.**_

"_**Meredith, are you in there?" Christina asked.**_

"_**Who else do you think is making the throw up sounds?" Meredith retorted. She was crabby. Crabby about being nauseous, crabby about being tired, crabby about her clothes not fitting anymore. Meredith mustered up the strength to unlock the bathroom door. Christina quietly made her way into the bathroom and sat at the opposite side of the toilet, leaning against the wall. "It's your fault you let McDreamy impregnate you with his McSperm. You saw this coming" she replied.**_

"_**Christina, can't you be the least bit supportive? I would be for you if you were me…I was**__ supportive to you when you were me," Meredith reminded her._

_Christina looked at her, slightly amused. "Can I get you anything? Saltines? Ginger Ale?"_

"_No," Meredith moaned, "just distract me from the obvious symptoms of my reality. Make me think of something else"._

"_OK, well Owen wants to get married" Christina stated nonchalantly. _

"_What?! When did he say this? Did he propose?" Meredith demanded._

"_Meredith, I said he __**wants**__ to get married. Get your pregnant mind out of the married people gutter. He didn't propose, he just mentioned it over breakfast this morning" Christina stated. "Maybe I read too much into it, but he mentioned that since Callie moved out, we practically live together. He said we should put both our names on the lease."_

_Meredith looked at her with a puzzled expression. "That's it? That was the conversation? Did he mention the "m" word at all? Did it come up?"_

"_Not the "m" word, per se, but it was implied. He was screaming marriage in his head". Christina huffed._

"_OK, you're going to have to help me read between those implied lines because from what you've just told me, I have no idea why you're thinking he wants to get married." Meredith felt a wave of nausea come across her again and she clutched her stomach. She regrouped and regained her composure. "Talk to him about it. Just because he wants to move in together doesn't mean that he wants to get married. If he were to ask you, would you say yes?"_

_Christina looked at Meredith like she had two heads, then her expression softened. "I don't know. Maybe. You remember the last time I got married, well almost got married. It was a disaster". _

"_It's so not the same. You and Owen are different than you and Burke. Owen is your McDreamy whether you like to admit it or not". Meredith sighed, fighting down her nausea._

_Christina rolled her eyes dramatically. She sighed and stood up. She turned around as she opened the door. Her face softened for a moment. "The look fits you…the Mommy-fiedness. You're glowing right now and you look really happy.. Better hurry up or you'll miss rounds". Christina stopped and turned to Meredith again. "You know, now that I think about it, the glow you have could be the reflection of light hitting your face from the toilet bowl", and with that, she closed the door behind her._

"I do not have the Mommy look" Meredith said. "I'm just tired. I gave birth a few hours ago, you know".

Christina smirked. "You are such a mommy, Mer. Your face flashes 'minivan'. It's cute, though. We wouldn't want McDreamy junior to have a mommy who didn't look like a mommy." Christina paused, motioning to the baby, "Did you guys name him yet?"

"No, not yet," Meredith answered. She looked at Derek questioningly. Derek looked back with the same questioned look on his face. "We know his middle name will be Christopher, after Derek's dad and Derek's middle name, but we are still debating the first name".

"Dude, you should just rip the band aid off and name him Derek junior." Alex stated. "It's like Derek cloned himself, minus the nose".

Meredith glanced at Derek, who's face was beaming with pride. "We thought of that, but we decided that we wanted him to have his own personality. He deserves his own name. Although, we have to decide soon because the hospital won't let us take him home without naming him." Meredith sighed and leaned into Derek, who put his arm comfortingly around her.

"Well, he is definitely a cutie pie. Ladies man in the making." Izzie said as she cuddled the baby closer to her. "And look at his hair" she squealed as she pulled back his blue hat. Derek sighed as he ran his fingers through his own hair, making it a point to the visitors in the room that he was responsible for that particular trait on his baby.

At that moment, Izzie and Alex's pagers went off. Izzie glanced at her pager and said "Crap, we gotta go". She turned and placed the baby in Christina's reluctant arms. "Meredith, I'll stop by before I leave tonight." Izzie turned to the baby and said "See you soon, angel pie," and placed a kiss on his forehead. Izzie and Alex hurried out of the room.

Christina looked uncomfortable with the baby in her arms. She gave Derek a look that said 'he's cute, come get him now' and Derek leaned over to take his son from her. Christina hopped up from the bed and turned to Meredith. "I gotta go. I'm with Bailey today. Oh, and thanks for giving me the sparkle pager while your on maternity leave." She pulled the shiny pager out of the pocket of her lab coat and wiggled it at Meredith. "Later!" she called as she left the room.

Derek turned to Meredith and looked at her for a moment. Meredith's eyes began to droop heavier and heavier, and within seconds, she was snoring. Derek chuckled as he gazed at his son. "That's your Mommy making that noise," he stated, "once you're around her long enough, you get used to it. Don't tell her she snores though, because she'll get mad". He watched his son as he opened his little eyes and tried to focus on him, almost like he was taking in every word he said. "Your mom can get pretty fired up sometimes", he continued quietly glancing up at Meredith to make sure she was still asleep before he continued the conversation, "especially since we knew you were on the way".

_Meredith stood at the nurses station, sorting through lab results a mile thick. She hated labs, especially now because she had to stand forever. Her back and feet ached and at this point in time, all she wanted to do was page her husband to the on call room to rub her aching muscles. She looked at her watch to see what time it was. Derek was still in surgery and would be there for about another half hour. She wallowed in her own self pity as she rubbed her lower back with her fingers and sighed in agony. She felt someone place their hand directly above hers on her back and begin to rub gently. She spun around to find Derek smiling at her, with a look of concern in his eyes._

"_You ok?" he asked as he proceeded to use both his hands to massage her back._

"_I hate delivering labs," she whined. "Especially when my back is killing me and I've been on my feet for the past four hours."_

"_What can I do to help you? What do you need?" Derek asked with concern as he moved his hands forward and began rubbing her swollen stomach underneath the counter._

_Meredith turned to look at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling smugly. "I could use a few shots of Jose Cuervo, but seeing that he's in remission for the time being, I'll take a shot or two of Derek Shepherd." Meredith snorted at her attempt at a joke as Derek raised his eyebrows. She continued to laugh as Derek rubbed his hands up and down her stomach._

"_I guess I could oblige you're request since you are carrying around my son or daughter in that big belly of yours" he smiled at her._

_Meredith stopped laughing immediately and her green eyes that were filled with amusement turned cold. Derek swore he saw daggers in them._

"_Are you calling me fat?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest._

_Derek was taken aback. "What? NO! I wasn't saying that…I was saying…I was..the baby…The baby is getting bigger so your stomach is getting bigger…." Derek stopped talking and looked at the floor._

_Meredith gasped. "You ARE calling me fat, aren't you? You think I'm fat and probably ugly because of the lack of sleep I'm getting and how worn down I am. I'm going to tell you something, Derek Shepherd," she poked her pointer finger into his chest, "the reason why I look the way I do is because of you. Every time I turn around you're buying me strawberry ice cream or potato chips, so if anyone is to blame for your wife looking like a tank, it's you!" Meredith began to cry and Derek grabbed a hold of her shoulders, keeping her in place. He didn't notice the audience that had gathered, apparently enjoying the scene before them._

"_Mer, listen to me, I do not think that you are fat. You are beautiful, you're even more beautiful now because now you're carrying my baby. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I buy you those things because you ask for them and I want to make you happy. There's nothing in the world more important to me than making you happy. I love you…" he was cut off._

"_Oh, whatever, Derek. Try to change your story now. I AM fat, just ask Christina. She had to go and get me bigger scrubs today because the size that I was wearing doesn't fit me anymore." She covered her eyes with her hands and sobbed. Derek took a moment to think about what he was going to say. His track record sucked so far today._

"_Meredith, that's a good thing, don't you see?" Meredith looked up from her hands to glare at him. He ignored her stare and continued. "When your stomach gets bigger, that means our baby is growing. I'm excited to see your stomach getting bigger because that means that he's healthy and happy. He's growing because of you, Meredith. You are taking care of our baby, so please let me take care of you." He stopped talking to see her reaction, hoping that he was able to successfully crawl his way out of the hole he dug for himself. _

_Christina, who witnessed the majority of the scene, came up beside Meredith to take over sorting the labs. She gave Derek an evil glare as if to say 'fix this now'. _

_Derek looked back at Meredith and pulled her into his chest. He could hear her sniffling, but she didn't pull away from his embrace._

"_Scrub in with me?" he asked. "I have a craniotomy in five minutes in OR one and I would love your assistance. Then, after that, I will rub every aching muscle in your body till your heart's content." He looked at her pleadingly, rubbing his hands up and down her back._

_Meredith looked at him, sniffed and nodded her head, wiping her tears away. She looked at Christina and thanked her for taking over labs. Then, she waddled away from the nurses station, but turned back around to look at Derek._

"_I don't know, Derek, are you sure you have enough room for me in your OR with my big belly and all?" she retorted as she spun around and continued on her way to scrub in. Derek looked around at the people who watched the event unfold. Alex looked at Derek, shaking his head. "Dude, that was rough," he said laughing. Derek groaned as he left the nurses station to go and scrub in with his wife. It was going to be a long surgery, and an even longer evening for masseuse Derek. _

Derek heard a soft knock at Meredith's hospital door. He glanced over at Meredith, who was still snoring soundly. "Come in" he called quietly.

The door opened as Mark walked into the room, followed by Derek's mother. "I found this lady at the airport who says she knows you," Mark said, shifting his eyes to the snoring, sleeping Meredith. "Geez, Shepherd, does she always make that much noise when she sleeps?" Derek chuckled and nodded as he stood up to put the baby in the basinet and hug his mother. Carolyn laughed and hugged her son, quickly dismissing him as she walked over to her grandson, who was sleeping soundly as well. Derek watched his mother look over the entire length of her grandson adoringly and then looked up at Derek with a smile. Derek nodded at her that she could pick him up. Carolyn gently removed him from his basinet and cradled him close to her and she sat down in the chair that Derek offered her. She leaned in to inhale his scent.

"He smells wonderful," she murmured. "He is a beautiful boy."

Mark sighed. "It's too bad he looks like a miniature version of Derek. He's cute now, but we see the end result" He motioned his hand towards Derek. "The only thing the kid has going for him is the fact that he failed to inherit Derek's crooked nose."

"My nose was fine until I met you," Derek replied. "If anyone is to blame for my nose being crooked, it's you because you broke it".

"Twice." Mark agreed.

Carolyn glanced from Derek to Mark, but quickly turned her attention back to her grandson, who had found his fist and began sucking on it loudly. She leaned in and whispered to him, "Yes, you do look like your Daddy, little guy, and I'm glad that you didn't get his nose, either".

"Mom!" Derek groaned. Meredith then let out a loud snore, causing all three to glance at her. Mark chuckled and looked sympathetically at Derek. Carolyn just smiled. "She's exhausted, poor girl. I should go and get settled in at home Derek. The flight was long and I'd like to rest for awhile. I'll come back for awhile this evening" Derek nodded in understanding.

"I'll take her home, man. You stay with the handsome prince and his snoring mother." Mark joked.

"Thanks, I'm having a hard time leaving them," Derek admitted.

Mark nodded. "It's the least I could do after making those nose jokes." Mark looked at Derek seriously and held out his hand. Derek reached out and shook it. "Congratulations, Derek, you have a beautiful family". Derek nodded at him as Mark turned to grab his coat. Carolyn gave her grandson one last kiss and walked over to kiss Meredith and then Derek. She leaned into Derek's ear and whispered "He's beautiful" and Derek could feel tears forming in his eyes at her remark as he watched them leave the room.

________________________________________________________________

"Mer, we really need to decide on his name." Derek informed her later on that day. He sat in the chair beside her bed, holding their sleeping, nameless son. "I know", she sighed. "Every name we've thought of so far hasn't fit him. I thought for sure I'd know is name when I saw him." She thought for a moment. "What about Matthew?"

Derek shook his head. "Nice name, but it doesn't fit him".

"Aaron." He suggested. Meredith shook her head in disgust. "I went to elementary school with a kid named Aaron. I remember that he ate the paste". Derek raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" she replied. "I don't want to think of the paste kid every time I say my son's name."

"This is going to be harder than we thought," Derek sighed. He looked down at his son, who was sleeping peacefully. He had one of his hands tucked up under his chin.

"He has surgeon hands, Mer. He'll definitely be a surgeon," Derek nodded. He touched the curled hand of his son, rubbing his palm until he opened his fists so that Derek could study his fingers. His son was perfect in every way. He only cried when he wanted fed, and he comforted easily when talked to. Derek studied his son's calm, quiet face for a moment and said, "Noah, Noah Christopher Shepherd". He looked over at Meredith for her reaction. He watched her eyes as she tossed the name around in her head. She looked at him after a moment with a sparkle in her eyes and nodded in agreement. Their son finally had his name.

"Well, Noah. It seems Mommy and I've decided that's your name," Derek said to his son softly. "What do you think?" Noah gave a big yawn in response and continued sleeping. Meredith laughed at the baby's reaction.

Derek reached up to the blue hat that covered his head and pulled it back. "See? Look at that hair. He'll have women lined up to date him before we know it".

Meredith rolled her eyes at him. "Women? Seriously? Derek, he's not even a day old and you have him dating. Let him at least poop first," she laughed.

"Mer, I'm just stating the facts." Then a look of seriousness washed over his face. "Want to know what I really wish for him?"

"What's that?" Meredith replied, lying back against her pillow. Derek stood up from his chair and put his sleeping son gently in his basinet. He walked over to Meredith, cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes.

"I hope that Noah is as lucky as his dad was to find someone just like his mom" Derek looked lovingly at her. Meredith could feel her face begin to turn red and her heart speed up at the words he said. "I love you, Meredith, more than anything. Thank you for giving me this day, this life. For making me a father. You've made me the happiest man in the world. I gave you my heart and entrusted you with it and you healed it. You made it stronger. I owe you my life for that". He leaned in and kissed her softly. When they pulled apart, Meredith was breathless.

She found her breath and whispered, "I love you, too, Derek. More than anything. We're in this together for life. You and Noah make me so happy". She pulled his face back to hers and kissed him deeply.

"And," she smiled slyly when she pulled away, "I do have this thing about your hair" she said as she ran her fingers through his thick curls. Derek smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her again.

**I enjoy constructive criticism to a degree. Please, leave me comments!!!**


	2. Back to Reality

**CHAPTER 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, but I wish I did. **

**Author's note: I had originally intended to make "Glorious Day" a one shot about Derek and Meredith's first hours as parents, but I've decided to add an epilogue to end it completely…so technically, it's a two shot. Thank you to everyone that left me comments. I greatly appreciate them. Enjoy!!**

Meredith sighed at herself in the mirror as she tried to button her jeans. She thought of the angel sleeping in the next room who was responsible for her dilemma. Meredith wondered how someone that small and precious could cause such damage, especially when the clothes that she was trying to put on fit before he existed. She glared at her husband, father of the small and precious angel, who was in bed, absorbed with reading a book. _He got me pregnant_, she thought, _with that stupid boy penis of his. His penis caused all of this…_ Meredith thought to herself grouchily. No matter how much she wiggled, the jeans would not zip up. Meredith rolled her eyes, stomped over to the bed and flopped down on her back. _As God as my witness, these freaking pants will go on if I have to have Derek hold them open so I can jump into them from the top of the dresser_…she thought. Derek looked up from his book in amusement as she wiggled around on the bed, fighting against the zipper.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Meredith stopped wiggling and looked over to glare at him. "My pants don't fit. Did you stick them in the dryer on hot or something?" She demanded.

Derek thought for a moment before he answered her. He had grown accustomed to choosing his words carefully before responding to his wife, especially since her pregnancy and in the two weeks since Noah's arrival. The wicked cravings of strawberry ice cream and potato chips diminished right after Meredith gave birth, but the intense hormone surges decided to stay around for a bit longer. Derek looked at her and shook his head, "No, I haven't touched the laundry. Mom's been keeping up with it so I don't have to."

_There, that's a safe answer_…he thought, only to notice that Meredith's glare at him did not fade. "What?" he asked.

"Are you implying that I cannot keep up with the laundry?" Meredith asked shortly as she sat up, faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't wait for Derek to respond. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm just a little busy with other things to be worried about whether or not you have clean underwear? I eat, sleep, and breathe baby…and I probably smell like him, too. He threw up on me today, twice. And he poops like it's no one's business. So, when I'm not feeding him, changing him, or taking a few minutes to love him a little, I'm sending out a heart felt apology to his father, perhaps engraved in stone or whatever, that I'm sorry that I neglected his laundry." Meredith got up from the bed and stomped into the bathroom. Derek grimaced as she slammed the door.

Derek let out a long, frustrated sigh. He knew that Meredith was consumed with taking care of Noah, and in the two weeks she's been a mother, she's become quite good at it. Noah was thriving and doing well, and Meredith was the reason for it. She was able to calm him when he cried, almost like she could pick up on what he needed by the sound. His mom said that it's a sixth sense mother's have, and she saw it in Meredith almost immediately with Noah. Derek saw it, too. He loved to watch Meredith with their son. He couldn't have picked a better mother for his child. She was wonderful with him and he was more in love with her than ever.

Derek sighed again, got out of bed, and walked over to the bathroom door. "Meredith," he called softly. He heard the shower running as he opened the door a crack to peek in. He caught a glimpse of his naked wife behind the shower door. He held in his breath for a moment. He stared at the outline of her body in awe as she showered, not aware that she was being watched. _She is beautiful_…he thought as he felt himself become aroused. He smirked as he quietly made his way into the bathroom and stripped himself of his t-shirt and boxers. He opened the shower door and stepped into the steaming water. He came up behind his wife and began kissing her shoulder. Meredith jumped, startled at the touch, and turned around to look at him. "Hey." she said quietly.

"Hey," he said in return as he looked at her from head to toe. "I just wanted to tell you that I think you're beautiful," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on her butt.

Meredith smiled and cocked her head sideways. "So, you had to get naked and climb in the shower with me just to tell me that?" she asked.

Derek wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Well, considering that it's been so long since I've seen all of you, thought I'd treat myself to a refresher course," he leaned in to meet his lips with hers in a soft kiss. His hands made their way up her back and back down to her butt. He pulled her closer to him as his tongue demanded entrance into her mouth. Meredith opened her mouth for him as she ran her fingers through his wet hair. She could feel his arousal between her legs, causing her to pull him closer and kiss him harder.

Derek suddenly stopped and took a step back. "Mer," he started, but Meredith lunged at him, slamming him into the shower wall. She kissed him hungrily as her hands roamed all over his body. "Meredith," Derek moaned between kisses, "Baby, it's too soon. We can't make love yet. You're not healed", he protested as she trailed kisses all over his neck and chest. He closed his eyes, relishing how great her lips felt on his skin, but quickly regained control of his emotions. He pushed gently against her shoulders, making her stop what she was doing to look at him. "Listen to me, my incredibly sexy, beautiful, horny wife. I love you, but we cannot do this now. I cannot make love to you knowing that there is a good possibly that I could hurt you or cause you pain. We just need to be patient and wait it out".

Meredith looked at him in agony, but then her green eyes slowly filled with lust. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" he asked.

"Well," she began, moving close to him again. "You might not be able to make love to me, but I can love you…in other ways," she purred as she ran her hands down his waist and thighs, taking him into her hand and massaging him slowly. Derek groaned in appreciation at her movements. She smiled widely at him as she pulled his face down to her to kiss him again, and then dropped to her knees. _I'll take the mood swings any day if this is the end result…_he thought to himself as he groaned when Meredith began to work her magic with her mouth.

________________________________________________________________

Derek awoke when he heard Noah begin to fuss in the bassinet beside Meredith. He looked over at his wife, who was sound asleep and snoring slightly. _He can't be hungry_…Derek thought to himself as he looked at the clock. He had heard Meredith put him in his bassinet after nursing him about an hour ago. Derek waited to see if Noah would fall back asleep, but quickly became guilty because his son needed something or he wouldn't be up. He got out of bed and made his way over to his son who was lying awake in his bassinet, studying his surroundings. Even at two weeks old, people had commented to Derek and Meredith on how alert Noah was and how amazing it was to see how he studied people's faces when they held him.

"Hey, buddy," Derek said softly to him as he gently lifted him from his bassinet. "You should be sleeping, little man." Derek held him close and kissed his forehead. Noah looked up at Derek with his blue eyes and studied his features intently. "I know. You're used to Daddy with great hair, not bed head. I promise you, I'll fix it in the morning," he joked as he made his way with Noah to his nursery. Derek quickly changed his diaper, rewrapped him in his cocoon of blankets, and lifted him into his arms again. He moved is way over to the rocking chair and sat down to rock Noah back to sleep. He chuckled to himself as he watched Noah look around the room, wide awake. Noah's gaze rested at the mural on the wall that Derek and Mark had painted a few months before his birth. He and Meredith had decided that they were going to wait to see what the sex of the baby was, and they had chosen a nursery rhyme theme to remain gender neutral. The end result was perfect, and Noah apparently enjoyed looking at the colors.

"_What color do you want Humpty Dumpty to be?" Mark asked Derek as he studied his work on the wall thoughtfully._

"_He's an egg, Mark. There," he motioned toward the can of paint, 'use eggshell white". He smirked at Mark from the ladder as he turned back to designing the border along the ceiling. _

_Mark glared at Derek as he picked up the can of paint. "So, tell me, how did I get suckered into doing this job, anyway? Shouldn't Meredith be helping you…er…I mean, bossing you with this"?_

_Derek turned to look at Mark. "I don't want Meredith in here inhaling the paint fumes. She told me how she wanted it, and seeing how I fix people's brains on a daily basis, I think I can manage painting my baby's nursery. I've got it under control"._

_Mark chuckled. "Man, you are so whipped. I should have known when Meredith put that ring on your finger that it was all over for you." _

_Derek turned to glare at Mark. "I am not whipped. My wife is carrying my child. That translates into her getting whatever she wants from now on. Meredith wants a nursery rhyme mural, so I will go to whatever lengths to make sure it happens." Derek turned back to painting. "Besides, if I can recall correctly, I remember a certain someone who went to every department store in fifty mile radius of Seattle to find the perfect birthday gift for Lexie. Wonder who that guy was?" Derek teased._

"_Shut up." Mark replied. "These Grey girls are high maintenance, but, I've always been up to the challenge. At least I didn't marry one."_

"_Yet," Derek replied. Mark turned to respond, but the men were interrupted by Meredith and Lexie coming into the room. "This room looks amazing!" Lexie exclaimed as she made her way to Mark's side. _

"_Meredith, paint fumes," Derek motioned to the walls of the nursery with a look of panic. _

"_Relax, Derek," Meredith rolled her eyes at him. "I am in a hospital all day around people, sick and contagious. I think I can be exposed to a miniscule amount of paint fumes. We'll only be here a few minutes anyway. We're meeting Cristina and Izzie for lunch". Meredith glanced around the nursery with an elated look on her face. "This looks great!" she exclaimed. "It's just how I pictured it in my head". She turned towards Mark, "Mark, thanks for helping"._

"_No problem. I'll do anything for my little niece or nephew. Besides, I figured Derek needed all the help he could get". Mark smirked at Derek, who glared at him as he made his way down the ladder. Meredith waddled over to Derek and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll thank you later," she whispered to him as she kissed his cheek. She moved her lips to his mouth and gave him a lingering kiss. She pulled away and winked at him. Derek gazed into her eyes for a few moments, relishing the feel of her swollen stomach against his. "Looking forward to it," he replied as he kissed her again. _

"_Mer, we should go if we don't want to be late for lunch," Lexie said. Meredith gave Derek one last kiss and pried herself away from Derek's embrace. He rubbed her stomach for a few seconds before she turned to leave the room._

"_See?" Derek asked after the women left. "Did you see the look on her face? Pure happiness. I'd give anything to see that, whipped or not."_

_Mark glanced at Derek. "You're pathetic, and I am truly a worse human being for knowing you". _

_Derek laughed. "That's my line, you can't use my line". _

"Is my grandson keeping you awake?" a voice asked from the doorway of the nursery, startling Derek out of his thoughts. He looked up to see his mother standing there in her nightgown and bath robe smiling at him. "Nah," Derek replied. "We're just having some father son bonding time. I've got a lot to teach him before fishing season starts". He looked down at his son who had drifted off to sleep.

Carolyn walked quietly into the room and stood next to Derek. "Your father used to do the same thing with you when you were a baby, "she replied, sadly. "There were nights when he would get up just to hold you while you slept. He said he liked it because it was just the two of you and you could talk about 'man' things. You remind me of him when I watch you with Noah. He would be proud of you and the father you've become." She rubbed his shoulder lightly and kissed the top of his head.

Derek could feel a lump forming in his throat and tears stinging his eyes. It was times like this that he really missed his father. He thought of him often, especially since finding out that he was going to be a father. He missed not having him to go to when he needed advice or to talk about life. When Meredith found out she was pregnant, he was the first person that Derek wanted to tell. When Meredith was having mood swings, he wanted to call him for advice. When he was scared about how to be an extraordinary husband and father, he wanted his father to ease his fears. "I miss him." Derek choked out. "I want for Noah to know him and I want Dad to know how much in love I am with my son. I didn't realize how much I missed Dad until I became what he was to me. I've wanted to be a father as long as I can remember and the moment I found out it was happening, it scared the crap out of me. I need him here with me." Derek swallowed hard and preoccupied himself with looking at Noah.

Carolyn sighed and kneeled down beside her son. "Sweetheart," she said softly, "your father is here, just not in the form you thought he'd be. He is guiding you, he's talking to you and you just don't realize it. Decisions that you make as a father and a husband come from him. His traits are instilled in you and you will instill them in Noah. Your father will always be with you and you will make sure that Noah knows his Grandpa Shepherd". She smiled at Derek with tears in her eyes. "And we thought Meredith was the emotional one." she joked.

Derek laughed at his mother's comment as she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"I'm so glad that Meredith and I are getting this time to spend with you. I know Meredith really appreciates you being here and you've helped her so much with Noah. You've made my life easier, too, because I'm not sure if I would've been able to handle postpartum Meredith alone". Carolyn chuckled and kissed his cheek again.

"Okay, Okay, enough teasing Meredith, the poor girl. She's not as bad as you think. You should have witnessed Carolyn Shepherd after your sister was born. Meredith is a piece of cake compared to what your father dealt with. I'm amazed he stuck around to have four more children with me after Kathleen". She ruffled his hair and stood up. "Now, you need to get to bed and get some rest. You won't be doing your patients any good if you fall asleep during their surgery".

Derek gave Noah a kiss and handed him to his mother. "Yes, ma'am," he joked as he stood up from the rocking chair and walked out of the room. He turned around in the doorway and watched his mother speak softly to his sleeping son as she sat down in the rocking chair.

Derek walked into his bedroom and crawled into bed next to Meredith. He pulled her sleeping body closer to him and spooned her. He could smell the scent of lavender coming from her hair as he buried his face in her neck. "I love you, Meredith Shepherd," he whispered. "More than life."

Meredith muttered something unintelligible and began to snore softly. Derek smiled to himself as her snoring lulled him to sleep.

Meredith walked into the kitchen, where Carolyn was preparing dinner. "So, how much should a baby actually poop because this is the fifth pooped diaper I've changed today?" she asked.

Carolyn turned from the stove to look at Meredith. "Sixth, I changed one this morning before you were awake. It's completely normal, Meredith. Breastfed babies poop a lot more because breast milk is easier to digest."

Meredith sighed as she sat at the counter to watch Carolyn cook. "I don't know how I'm going to survive when you leave. I've never been good at cooking." Meredith leaned her cheek on her hand and sighed pathetically.

"Actually, when we got married, Derek made me promise that I'd let him do all the cooking, and I wouldn't touch the appliances in any home maker kind of way without someone supervising me. I apparently scared the crap out of him when I tried to make him chicken parmesan for his birthday and almost caught the house on fire. I could have sworn the recipe said cook at five hundred fifty degrees, not three hundred fifty. But then again, I have a hard time reading Izzie's writing, so I blamed it on her, but anyone who knows me knows that I can't cook to save my life. I even burn popcorn in the microwave…sometimes I wonder why Derek sticks around. I can't seem to get all domesticated or whatever, but I can make a mean grilled cheese".Meredith stopped talking when she heard Carolyn chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm rambling. Cristina says it's a sign of avoidance, or not knowing what I'm trying to say, or whatever, but when I catch myself in a ramble, it drives me crazy. I tell people to tell me to shut up when I'm rambling, but no one will. Derek says it's cute, he likes it, but come on, how many surgeons do you know ramble? How can I be an intense, hardcore surgeon when I ramble on endlessly?" Meredith took a deep breath and watched Carolyn's wide eyed expression.

"Now, I'm rambling over rambling," Meredith sighed. "What are you making?" she asked, changing the subject. "It smells wonderful."

"Vegetable soup," Carolyn replied. "I figured it would be a good dinner considering that it's raining. But then again, in the three weeks I've been here, I think it rained all but two days. But when it doesn't rain, Seattle is an interesting city and I can see why Derek likes it here, besides the obvious reasons." Carolyn smiled at Meredith humorously.

Meredith looked at Carolyn wide eyed. "Carolyn," she started slowly, "did I just witness a mini ramble from you? Ugh! I've drug you over to the side of rambling ramblers. I'm such a bad influence on you with my bad habits. You'll probably go back to New York and start rambling over something and Derek's sisters will wonder what happened to you and then they'll blame me. I can hear them now 'that Meredith and her rambling' she mocked, 'it's apparently contagious because now mom rambles after four weeks in Seattle, and poor Derek for dealing with the rambling and what about Noah? He'll probably ramble, too'. Then they will and call and yell at me.."

"Dear," Carolyn interrupted, "they will not call and yell at you. They like you. You make Derek happy, so who cares if you ramble. You wouldn't be Meredith if you didn't ramble." Carolyn turned back to the stove and stirred the soup.

Meredith sighed and got off the stool and made her way into the kitchen. "Considering we're having soup for dinner, the least I can do is make my mean grilled cheese to go with it," Meredith stated as she grabbed a pan from the pot rack above the stove.

Carolyn laughed and backed away to allow Meredith room. "Before you start, is the fire extinguisher close by in case we need it?"

Meredith snorted and turned to look at Carolyn, "Like mother, like son, I see," she replied sarcastically.

________________________________________________________________

Meredith made her way through the front doors of Seattle Grace hospital with Noah strapped securely and sleeping soundly in his baby sling in front of her. She and Noah were meeting Derek for lunch and they were going to take a tour of the hospital's daycare site to see if it was adequate enough to meet the needs of their precious son. Miranda Bailey had suggested the facility to Derek and Meredith before Noah was born claiming that she was pleased with how Tuck was taken care of there. Meredith took heart in what Miranda had said because she was a hard woman to please. Meredith would be returning to work in a few weeks and Derek's mother was leaving for home the day after tomorrow, so she and Derek needed to have a plan in place for when she returned to work.

As she walked off the elevator and onto the surgical floor, she caught a glimpse of Izzie standing at the nurse's station. "Hey, Iz!" she called to her. Izzie looked up from the chart she was reading and an excited look came across her face.

"Meredith! How are you? And how is the little ladies man? Aww, he's asleep!" She leaned in to kiss his forehead and stroke his cheek, "Hi gorgeous man, you are adorable, you little baby boy," she whispered. "You're getting so big, yes you are, I hardly recognized you, you big little boy. Mommy's taking good care of you."

Izzie stood up to speak to Meredith. "Mer, you look great, amazing actually. You can't even tell you just had a baby." She stated.

"Thanks, Iz, say that to my pants that won't fit. I had to go out and buy a size larger! And let's not talk about my boobs. You'd swear Dolly Parton and I were in competition or something. Derek likes them, though. He wants them to stay." She chuckled at the thought of Derek this morning staring at her in awe as she put her bra on.

"Speaking of Derek, here he comes." Izzie announced as Meredith turned around to see Derek and Mark walking up the hall.

"There's my beautiful wife," Derek called, coming up beside Meredith and kissing her on the cheek. "Not to mention my handsome boy." He leaned down to kiss Noah's forehead, holding it in place as he gazed at Meredith's cleavage.

"Derek!" Meredith exclaimed, smacking him on the arm. Mark chuckled as Derek stood up with an embarrassed expression on his face. "What? I was looking at my son," he protested.

Mark chimed in, "So, the conversation that we had about Meredith's breasts ten minutes ago was off the record?"

Derek turned to glare at Mark. "Don't you have a face lift or a tummy tuck you could be performing now?" Meredith looked between Derek and Mark in disgust.

"You mean to tell me that my breasts," she said, pointing her finger at Derek, "that are currently feeding your son, are the hot topic in this hospital?" she put her hands on her hips and waited for a response.

Mark looked at his watch and announced loudly, "One thirty already? I have to meet Lexie for lunch in the cafeteria." He turned to walk towards the elevator. Meredith quickly followed him as Derek trailed behind. "Mark Sloan, isn't it ironic that the daycare is also on the ground floor of the building. Hold that elevator. Let's go, Derek." Derek took Meredith's hand as she followed Mark onto the elevator. Mark smirked as he spoke to the sleeping baby.

"Noah, my man, let me introduce you to the elevator. The same elevator that you were conceived in almost a year ago." Mark leaned up against the elevator, pleased with himself at his comment.

Derek groaned as Meredith turned to glare at Mark. "Mark, Noah was not conceived in this elevator so don't tell him that. Derek and I never had sex in this elevator. The only things these walls have witnesses are several make out sessions, Derek feeling me up once or twice, and a proposal".

"Meredith," Derek groaned, "too much information for Mark. He'll run with it".

Mark smirked at Meredith. "Yes, Meredith, Mark will run with it," he stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Meredith was getting annoyed. She liked Mark, she really did, but she wondered how someone could be so immature. She took a step closer to him and lowered her voice. Derek watched her in amusement. Meredith could always put Mark in his place, especially now since her hormones were all over the place. "Let me make myself clear, if any of this conversation leaks its way out of the elevator, the entire hospital will know how Lexie broke your penis." She proclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

Mark looked at her in horror and glanced at Derek, who started to chuckle loudly. "What?" Derek gasped, turning to Mark. "Lexie broke your penis? When?" He turned back to Meredith. "Meredith! How'd you know that?"

"I know everything," she declared, "and at this point in time, consider it blackmail." She turned away from a speechless Mark as the elevator doors slid open. Derek followed her out of the elevator, but turned to look at Mark for a moment.

"Hormones" he stated. "Oh, and for the record, Noah was conceived in the on- call room. I get horny after performing brain surgery." Derek chuckled as he hurried to catch up with his wife and son.

"_That was amazing," Meredith proclaimed as she followed Derek to the scrub room to scrub out after their surgery together. She had watched Derek successfully remove a tumor the size of a walnut from Mr. Davis' brain. A tumor that was deemed inoperable by the head of neurosurgery at Boston General Hospital. Mr. Davis had come to Seattle Grace for a consult with Derek Shepherd after he heard of his reputation as being one of the top ten neurosurgeons in the world. Derek agreed to perform the surgery, asked Meredith to scrub in with him, and was able to remove the entire tumor with no long term complications for the patient._

_Derek smiled at Meredith's enthusiasm. "I do tend to have that effect on you," he agreed as he dried off his hands. Meredith rolled her eyes at his inflated ego as she removed her wedding and engagement rings from the chain around her neck and put them back on the ring finger of her left hand. Derek looked at her with adoration as he watched her place her rings back on her finger, a gesture that sent chills up his spine. He still had a hard time grasping the idea that she was his in every way possible. _

"_Like what you see?" she teased as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Derek Shepherd, I do believe I caught you checking me out," she said seductively as she moved her hands up his back to his neck and pulled his face down to kiss her. _

"_Hmmmm," he replied against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him to kiss her deeply, entering his tongue into her mouth. Meredith pulled away from his lips breathlessly. _

"_We need to go talk to Mr. Davis' family before we get too distracted with our baby making project." Meredith said. "Then, afterwards, you and me in the on call room for an after surgery celebration". She winked at him as she turned to leave the room. Derek grinned widely as he followed Meredith out of the scrub room at the thought of making a baby with Meredith. They had decided to start trying a few months ago after Meredith told him breezily "Derek, you're not getting any younger". Therefore, "Project Baby Shepherd" was underway. The members of the project would meet on a daily basis (sometimes several times) to 'discuss' the activities. They'd make love in the on call room, storage closet, in the car, and every room in their new house overlooking Seattle. _

_Derek had a hard time focusing as he heard Meredith talk with Mrs. Davis about the success of her husband's surgery and how he would make a full recovery. He barely paid attention to the conversation as he undressed her with his eyes, trying to imagine if she was wearing a thong or her black lacy panties that made him hot for her. He imagined removing them slowly as he kissed his way down her neck, in between her breasts, to her navel, and then down to her…_

"_Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith asked, "Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith waited for Derek to respond._

"_What? Huh?" Derek stuttered in a state of confusion. _

"_Dr. Shepherd, Mrs. Davis wants to know if she can see her husband now?" she asked him with raised eyebrows. Meredith knew Derek's problem and narrowly escaped bursting into a fit of giggles. _

_Derek looked from Meredith to Mrs. Davis as he gathered his thoughts. "Of course, Dr. Grey. Mrs. Davis, that would be fine. Please follow me." Derek turned to walk away, but overheard Meredith's conversation with Mrs. Davis, saying it loud enough so he could hear it. "Your husband is lucky to have Dr. Shepherd as his surgeon. You'll have to excuse him, though, because he is already deep in thought about his next procedure, which will be very intense and time consuming for him. It's right up his alley, though. Practically screams his name. " Derek kept his eyes straight ahead as he made his way to Mr. Davis' room as he fought the heat that was rising in his body at the thought of Meredith screaming his name at the next meeting of "Project Baby Shepherd". _

__________________________________________________________________

Meredith fought back tears as Derek pulled into the parking lot at Seattle Grace Hospital. It had been an emotional day so far and it was only a little after six in the morning. Meredith didn't anticipate it getting better anytime soon. The six weeks that she spent at home with Noah flew by and she now felt nauseous at the thought of returning to work. She looked over at Noah, who was asleep in his car seat. Derek looked at her through the rearview mirror with concern. She had been quiet for the trip in, which was very unlike Meredith.

"Mer, you okay?" he asked quietly, turning to look at her in the back seat. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she responded.

"I'm fine," she replied in a flat voice as she rummaged through the diaper bag to count the diapers for the tenth time. She had packed enough items for Noah to stay at daycare for an entire week.

Derek looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Are you fine, fine or Meredith, fine?" he asked, challenging her to prove how she was really feeling.

Derek watched Meredith's reaction as her face changed from annoyance to sadness as she burst into tears. She covered her face with her hands as she sobbed quietly. Derek quickly got out of the car, made his way around to Meredith's side, opened the door, and pulled her up to stand. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as he whispered soothing words into her ear. He knew how hard this day was for her and he was determined to be there for her as much as he could. He had asked Dr. Bailey last week if he could have Meredith on his service for her first week back. Normally, Dr. Bailey would have frowned at the idea of him choosing favorites, but instead smiled at Derek in understanding and made the requested changes.

Meredith pulled back from his embrace and sniffed. "This is hard, Derek. How am I supposed to leave him with strangers when he's been with me since the moment he's been born? I mean, what if they leave him in his diaper too long and he gets a diaper rash, or what if he runs a fever and they don't page me, or what if they don't follow his daily routine? I don't think I can do this," She wailed as she started to cry again. Derek pulled her back to him for another hug, secretly feeling the same fears his wife said out loud.

"Mer, he will be an elevator ride away from us. Think of all the parents who don't have a daycare at their work. Their kids are miles away from them or across town. We're set because when we have a moment, we can sneak away from our jobs and visit with him. We've met the daycare staff and they know what we expect to happen in their care and they respect it. It's going to be okay, I promise". He pulled away to look in her eyes.

"You're right," she sniffed. "I'm okay, I'll be okay. I know they'll take care of him. I guess I'm just afraid that I'll miss out on something important. I just want to be a good mom and I don't want him to be scared. I remember spending hours upon hours in daycare while my mom was at work and being scared that she wasn't going to pick me up." She sniffed again and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Derek placed his hand under her chin and made her look at him. "Meredith, you are an excellent mother. I've watched you with Noah since he was born. You are amazing with him. He adores you and he's glad you're his mom,"

Meredith laughed at his comment. "Oh yeah, and how do you know that?"

Derek smiled at her. "Because he told me one night when we were having 'man' time," he joked. Then he became serious again as he traced his finger along her cheek. "I could not have asked for a better mother for my child. You amaze me, and I fall more in love with you every day." He leaned in to kiss her softly. "And the fact that you're emotional in the parking lot over taking him to daycare proves that you are one trillion times better of a mom to Noah than your mom was to you."

Meredith wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. "You always know what to say to make me feel better," she sighed. Derek laughed at her comment and rubbed circles on her back. He glanced at his watch.

"Mer, we have to get Noah to daycare. We can't piss Bailey off and you can't spend your first day back to work doing rectal exams because you were late." He leaned into the car to unhook Noah from his seat. He lifted him gently against his shoulder making sure that his hat he was wearing completely covered his ears. He slung his briefcase strap over the other shoulder and waited as Meredith grabbed her purse and the suitcase of a diaper bag. "Ready?" he asked her.

Meredith held on to Derek's arm and reached up to adjust Noah's hat again. "Ready," she mimicked, realizing that this was the first of many times they would walk through the doors of Seattle Grace Hospital as a family.

**THE END!!**

**I know, it was cheesy. But that's what happens when I've gone over a month without a new episode of Grey's!!!!**

**One more week!!**


	3. Late Night Love

**So, this story was a one shot…then a one shot with an epilogue. Now I'm not sure what it is because I want to keep writing the story. So, I've decided to update when I can because I love writing about my favorite TV couple, who I hope like heck will get married in the finale. **

**I want to dedicate this chapter to Julie because of her love for intern Steve. Get back on the writing wagon soon, girl!! **

**And thanks to everyone who left me reviews, they make me happy!!**

_My husband is a baby hog_, Meredith thought to herself as she stood watching her husband as he walked around the room of the hospital daycare holding their six month old son tightly in his arms as he whispered in his ear. She had purposely rushed through her paperwork to beat Derek in picking up Noah. If Derek gets to Noah first, he will pick him up immediately and won't let her hold him. Meredith stood with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at him.

Derek looked up and noticed her in the door way. "Beat you," he stated with a sarcastic smile on his face. He lifted Noah's arm to wave at her. "Noah, tell Mommy 'you snooze, you lose'". He smirked at her and kissed Noah's chubby cheek.

Meredith sighed grumpily. "Derek, how'd you get here before me? I checked the board and you are to be finishing up a hemispherectomy right now."

Derek chucked. "I finished up early," he replied. "and my sources revealed to me that you told Cristina that you were going to beat me to daycare today to pick up Noah because, and I quote, 'Derek's a baby hog' ". He gave her a smug smile. "And for the record, I am not a baby hog."

Meredith nodded at him. "Oh, yes, you are Derek. I can't even get near Noah when you're around. It's a wonder he even knows who I am." She held her arms out, "Give me my baby," she demanded. Her eyes got big when he just stared blankly at her. "Give him to me, now," she repeated sternly.

"Why?" Derek asked.

Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Because I said so, that's why," she replied. Derek chuckled at her reason. Meredith put her hands on her hips. "And because if you don't, it's going to be a long month for you with no sex and sleeping on the couch". Derek stopped laughing and looked at her.

"You're bluffing," he challenged her.

"I so am not. I will cut you off for an entire month if you do not hand over our son to me this second".

Derek studied her face for a moment, searching for a flicker of banter. He didn't see an ounce of it. Derek sighed in defeat and kissed Noah's cheek again. "Son," he stated, "sorry for this, but if you want a little brother or sister in the future I have to hand you over." Derek shifted Noah from his arms into the eagerly waiting arms of his mother. He watched Meredith look at Noah adoringly and his heart melted at the sight. He loved watching her with him.

Meredith turned with Noah and called over her shoulder, "Derek, get the bag." _She's so bossy_, Derek thought to himself as he gathered up Noah's bag, waved quickly to the daycare staff, and followed his family out the door.

"So, which resident was it that blabbed?" Meredith asked Derek as they got into the car. "No one." Derek looked over at her. He knew that Meredith knew who it was.

"It was Steve, wasn't it? That weasel. You know, he's always had it out for me. I knew I didn't like him after he went behind my back and told you I was in labor. I had to leave my surgery thanks to him." Meredith glared out the window.

"Mer, you were in labor and you wouldn't tell anyone or let someone take over for you. Steve came to get me because he was scared. If it would have been left up to you, Noah would have been born in that operating room."

"He would not. I had lots of time. I could have finished removing that appendix, closed up the patient and had time to labor a few more hours".

Derek looked at her in shock. "You got to obstetrics just in time to push. Don't tell me you had time."

_Meredith walked into the operating room ready to perform an appendectomy on her patient. She looked around at the surgical staff assisting her and her sights came on Steve, the talkative and overachieving resident that Meredith found annoying. She sighed to herself . Her back had been aching most of the day and the thought of a two hour surgery with Steve beside her made her irritated. She was already irritated enough with Dr. Bailey. For the past month she had been assigned to short procedures because at nine months pregnant, she couldn't stand for long periods of time. Brain surgery was out of the question, those surgeries lasted several hours. She knew that Steve would go on and on about how wonderful of a surgeon her husband was and she would probably have to hear about it the entire surgery. She loved her husband with all her heart, but he was a man that did not need any more of an ego boost. _

_Meredith walked up to the operating table. "Dr. Mostow," she nodded in his direction. "Glad to see you can join us today. Let's get started". Meredith worked swiftly, but would stop about every two minutes to stretch her back and take a moment to regain focus. Her actions did not go unnoticed by Steve, who seemed to be watching every move she made. _

"_Dr. Grey," he asked, "are you okay?" _

"_Fine, Dr. Mostow, please cauterize the bleeders."_

"_Oh, sorry, Dr. Grey. You look like you're in pain. You're not in pain are you?" He asked nervously._

"_No, I am not in pain. My back just aches. You try carrying around an extra forty pounds and see how your back feels," she replied sharply as she continued working. She stopped working a minute later to stretch her back again. _

_Steve glanced at the clock and shifted his gaze to the scrub nurse assisting with the surgery. She looked at Steve in understanding that what he was thinking was true. Dr. Grey was in labor. The challenge would be convincing Dr. Grey of that. Steve continued to watch Meredith work and stop every one to two minutes, her face tense and her eyes closed. He spoke up again. "Dr. Grey…uh…do you think that maybe…uh…ummm…."_

"_What is it, Steve?" Meredith snapped._

"_Labor, ma'am. You might be in labor. Megan's back hurt her when she was in labor…."_

"_I am not in labor," Meredith retorted as she continued operating._

"_Are you sure, Dr. Grey? You have to stop every other minute to…."_

_Meredith interrupted. "I am a doctor, a DOCTOR, Steve! You would think that I would know if I was in labor, and I'm not. I told you, my back just aches. Now, if you're going to focus all of your attention on me instead of what you are to be learning, then your presence is not needed in my OR!" Meredith snapped. Suddenly, another contraction hit her and she clutched her stomach. "Leave, NOW!" _

_Steve quickly left the OR and scrubbed out. He knew he needed to find Dr. Shepherd quickly. Dr. Grey already didn't like him and she'd dislike him more once she found out he went to get her husband. After asking a few nurses if they'd seen Dr. Shepherd, he found him doing paperwork in his office. _

_Steve knocked softly on the door. Derek looked up at the sound. "Dr. Mostow", Derek started. "How can I help you?"_

"_Umm…sir…uh…." he stuttered nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. _

_Derek looked at him, waiting for him to say something. "I thought you were scrubbing in with Dr. Grey, are you done already?" He looked at his watch._

"_Yes!" Steve exclaimed. "Yes, I was scrubbed in with Dr. Grey, but she kicked me out"._

_Derek smiled at Steve's statement knowing how Meredith's moods could fluctuate at the drop of a hat. "What did she kick you out for?" Derek questioned._

"_Umm…well….I asked her if she was in labor, sir. I mean, Dr. Grey is in labor, sir. She is having contractions one to two minutes apart, but she won't stop operating. When I mentioned labor, she kicked me out."_

_Derek stood up suddenly. "My wife is in labor? Are you sure?" _

"_Yes, sir, she's definitely in labor. She says her back hurts…Megan's back hurt like that when she was in labor…" Steve trailed off as he watched Derek hurry out of his office. He followed quickly behind him to the operating room. Derek put on a face mask and walked into the room where his wife was operating. She looked up as he moved next to her._

"_Meredith, Dr. Mostow told me you're in labor." He stated, searching her face for an answer. "Are you in labor?" _

"_Derek, I am not in labor" she retorted, rolling her eyes. Every resident, intern and scrub nurse in the operation room replied in unison, "Yes, you are." Meredith glanced at the surgical team before turning back to her patient. "I am not, I am just sore. Cristina and I overdid it at yoga last evening and…" Meredith backed away from the operating table and bent over as another strong contraction hit her. Derek rubbed her back, "Mer, you are in labor. How far apart are the contractions?"_

"_Thirty seconds to a minute apart, Dr. Shepherd," one of the scrub nurses replied. Derek motioned to Steve to come towards him. "Page Dr. Webber to finish the surgery and get me a wheelchair." Derek said to him quietly. Steve nodded and quickly left the operating room._

"_Derek, I am fine. I am almost done with this procedure and after that, I will go to obstetrics to get checked out. Promise."_

"_Meredith, how long have you had back pain?" Derek asked her._

"_Umm, awhile…" her voice trailed of._

"_Mer," Derek warned. "Tell me."_

"_Since about two this morning," she replied, giving him a weak smile. _

_Derek looked at her incredulously. "You have been having contractions for over ten hours? Why didn't you tell me? Did your water break?"_

"_No." Meredith stated. As if right on cue, she felt intense pressure in her stomach, heard the gush, and warm amniotic fluid started trickling down her legs. "Yes, my water broke." Meredith said as another contraction hit her. She moaned as she rocked side to side with her hands on her hips. Derek wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to lean into him until the contraction ended._

_Meredith stood up and stepped back to the operating table, where one of the scrub nurses was monitoring the patient. "I'm almost done here," Meredith said to Derek as she proceeded to pick up the scalpel again. Derek opened his mouth to reply._

"_You are done here, Dr. Grey," Dr. Webber said loudly as he walked into the operating room with Steve right behind him pushing a wheelchair._

"_Dr. Webber," Meredith argued, "I have about fifteen more minutes of work on this patient.."_

"_You are done, Dr. Grey," Dr. Webber repeated. "I have it from here. You need to go to obstetrics immediately"._

"_I told you," Meredith stated. "I am almost done here. I owe it to this patient to finish his surgery."_

"_You owe it to your child not to deliver him or her on the floor of this operating room, Dr. Grey. Your child is your concern at this point in time. You are a patient in this hospital, starting now"._

_Meredith glanced at Derek, who had the same stern expression on his face as the chief. Meredith began to say something, but was suddenly hit with another contraction. Derek rushed to her side to help her through it. He rubbed her back soothingly until the pain subsided._

"_Meredith, let's go." Derek said softly in her ear. "Let's get you upstairs to have this baby". Meredith slowly nodded and pulled off her surgical gloves, cap and gown and threw them in the bin. She lowered herself in the wheelchair that Derek had pushed over to her._

_As they were leaving the operating room, Meredith turned to Steve and pointed at him. "You're dead." _

_Derek looked at Steve and chuckled at his wide eyed expression. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was intimidated by his pregnant wife. _

__________________________________________________________________________

"Little man is down for the night," Derek stated as he walked into the living room after putting Noah to bed. He noticed his wife furiously writing on a piece of paper. Derek turned his attention to the television, where an episode of "Paula's Home Cooking" was playing. Derek felt a slight panic at the thought of Meredith trying to cook as he sat down on the couch beside her.

"Mer, what are you doing?" He asked hesitantly, knowing exactly what she was up to.

"I am going to make this," she motioned to the television. "Paula's recipe for Chicken Pot Pie sounds easy enough and it looks delicious." She continued scribbling the recipe onto the paper.

Derek glanced from Meredith to the television and back. Meredith and cooking did not go well together, at all. He had practically banned her from the kitchen appliances after their anniversary disaster when Meredith had tried to make a romantic dinner for them, nearly catching their new house on fire.

"Who would eat it?" he asked her cautiously. Meredith looked up at him and gave him a confused look.

"We would, Derek. Who else would you…" she stopped talking, realizing Derek's comment. "Are you saying that I can't cook?"

"Yes," Derek replied almost immediately. He winced as she slapped him on the shoulder and looked at him in disgust. "I'm sorry, honey, but you can't…Do I need to remind you of the anniversary disaster? I had to get out the fire extinguisher." He waited for her response.

"Derek, why do you bring up that incident every time I mention doing something in the kitchen? I told you it was Izzie's fault. I couldn't read the writing on the recipe".

"Uh huh," Derek nodded at her, not convinced. He started to laugh.

"I need to learn how to cook. All moms know how to cook, it's like a rule or something. What happens when Noah is in kindergarten and he wants to take in cupcakes to his class for his birthday? I want to be able to make them for him without worrying about where the nearest exit is…and…I want his little friends to think they taste great and that his mom is a good cook, not all fall over from food poisoning or whatever. He could get beat up on the playground or something for bringing in bad cupcakes." She raised here eyebrows and tapped the pen against the tablet.

Derek smiled at her lovingly. "Honey, first of all, Noah is six months old. We'll have plenty of time between now and kindergarten to call the bakery and order cupcakes. Not saying that by the time Noah is in kindergarten you won't be a good cook but for right now, don't worry about it. You are an amazing mother to him and who cares if you don't cook. You are so good at other things that it makes up for the fact that cooking isn't something you do well." He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at her.

Meredith put down the tablet and pen and inched closer to him on the couch. She wrapped her arms around his waist and layed her head on his chest. After a moment, she looked up at him. "Tell me some things that I'm good at," she teased him as she ran her hand up and down his stomach. Derek felt himself becoming aroused at her touch.

"Well," he started slowly. "You are a brilliant surgeon, for one…"

"Mmmhmm," she replied seductively as her hands found her way to the opening of his jeans, quickly unbuttoning them and sliding her hand inside. "Keep going," she prompted, running her hand along his length.

Derek swallowed hard. "You are good…no…great with our son. The way he looks at you is amazing, he adores you. Oh, God, Mer…" He let out a long groan as she touched him in all the right places. She moved her body to straddle him, pulling him into a deep kiss. "Anything else?" she whispered as she trailed kisses down the side of his neck and back up to nibble on his ear lobe. Derek maneuvered his hands under her shirt and unhooked her bra, moving his hands around her body to massage her breasts. She moaned at his touch and kissed him again, using her tongue to explore the inside of his mouth. He broke off the kiss and looked longingly into her eyes. "Your son's father adores you, too. You are great at making him happy." He placed his hands on both sides of her face. "I love you more everyday," he confessed.

Meredith kissed him softly and climbed off his lap. She held out her hand to him. "Well, Dr. Shepherd, you're happy meter will be off the charts when you see what's behind door number one," she teased, winking at him.

Derek grinned widely as he got up off the couch and took his wife's hand. "Lead the way, my love," he said as he hurriedly followed her upstairs.

_________________________________________________________________________

"I think I will have…" Meredith paused to study the menu at La Jeune Chef, she and Derek's favorite French restaurant, "Coq au vin. But first, I would like bowl of the soupe a l'oignon as an appetizer, please. Oh, then after my main dish, I would like crème anglaise for dessert". She told the waiter as he hurriedly scribbled her order on his pad. She continued to study her menu.

The waiter looked up and smiled at Derek. "And for you, sir?"

Derek closed his menu. "I'll have your steak au poivre," he announced as he handed the waiter his menu.

"Okay, I think I changed my mind," Meredith said suddenly. Derek and the waiter looked at her questioningly. "I think," she said slowly. "I think I'll have the wine poached salmon with black truffles instead of the coq au vin. Or maybe I want the duck a l'orange…hmmm."

Derek groaned. "Mer, the restaurant closes at ten. Order something before the chef leaves for the night."

"Derek, I have not been here forever and everything on this menu sounds delicious." Meredith looked at her menu for a few moments before closing it. "I'll take the coq au vin. Ooh, now that I think about it, do you still have that chocolate thing that looks like a pie?"

"Chocolate tart," Derek offered with a slight smile.

Meredith nodded excitedly. "Yes! The chocolate tart." She turned to the waiter, " Do you have that?"

The waiter nodded. "Yes, ma'am, would you like a slice for dessert?"

"Yes, and I would like an entire tart to take home, too." She clapped her hands together excitedly and wiggled her eyebrows at Derek. Derek shook his head, laughing.

The waiter scribbled her request on his tablet, gathered their menus, and left their table before Meredith could change her mind again.

Meredith's smile faded quickly and her expression changed to serious. "Do you think Noah is okay?" She picked up her cell phone that was placed directly beside her silverware to make sure the volume was on high. Derek smiled at her.

"I think…he's fine. Izzie has both of our cell and pager numbers, the number and address to the restaurant. Oh, and don't forget the schedule you wrote for her, too, so she knows where she can find us at every minute if she needs us."

Meredith sighed. "I know, this is just the first time we've actually left him with a babysitter. He could get scared without one of us there."

"And if he does, Izzie will call. Mer, he is fine."

Derek reached across the table for her hand, smiling. She smiled back as her hand reached his, intertwining their fingers together. "Remember the last time we were here, Derek?" she asked him.

Derek smiled and nodded. "The last time we were here, you had some news for me that changed our lives forever." He looked at her lovingly at the memory of it.

_Meredith was nervous. She knew what she had to tell Derek was wonderful, but she wanted it to be special for him. She wasn't sure how she was going to break it to him that he was going to be a father in seven months. It had to be memorable for them, this was a big step in their lives. She hadn't told Cristina or Izzie yet, Derek needed to be the first to know. _

_She looked at herself in the mirror in the ladies restroom at La Jeune Chef, the French restaurant that she and Derek loved to go to. The food was excellent and the atmosphere reminded them of a restaurant, Chez Leon, that they had dined at in Paris on their honeymoon. At Chez Leon , they talked in detail about their future together. They had spent hours there talking about their house plans, how many bedrooms to include in the blue prints, how many children they would have. Finding a restaurant similar to Chez Leon in Seattle was astonishing. _

_Meredith made her way to their table and sat down in the chair beside Derek. He looked up from his menu at her and smiled. "There is my beautiful wife, " He stated as he leaned in to kiss her quickly. She reached for her water glass and sipped at it, trying to calm her nervousness. "Did you want wine tonight?" he asked her._

"_No…no, not tonight. I'll have water. You can have wine if you want." Derek looked up at her. "Mer, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked her softly. _

"_Yeah, it's…it's great…actually, Der, I…"Meredith was interrupted by the waiter who was coming to take their orders. Meredith looked down at her menu, trying to quickly decide what to order. Derek gave the waiter his order and handed him his menu. The waiter looked at Meredith, waiting._

"_Umm…I think I'll have a bowl of your soupe a l'oignon, but I would like to see your dessert menu". She closed her menu and handed it to the waiter. Derek looked at her in shock._

"_Mer, we came here for dinner and you order a bowl of onion soup?" Derek asked. "What's going on with you? You've been acting strange all evening."_

_Meredith took a deep breath. "Nothing, Derek, this place just makes me miss being in Paris."_

_Derek nodded in understanding. "We discussed a lot at Chez Leon, good things. We'll go back someday, Mer, I promise." He reached over and squeezed her hand, winking at her. She smiled at him. _

_Meredith cleared her throat, deciding to lay it out on the table. "Actually, honey, there is a reason why I wanted to come here tonight. Tonight has meaning for us." Meredith paused._

_Derek looked up at her, confused with her statement. "It does? What is tonight?"_

_Meredith grabbed her glass and quickly took another sip of water. She let out a deep breath._

"_Well, tonight, we're celebrating our success with the project we've been working on." She smiled at him. She tapped her fingers on the table, waiting for his response._

_Derek still had the confused look on his face. She watched him as he tried to think of what project she was talking about. "We aren't working on a project right now," he responded slowly._

_Meredith rolled her eyes at him. For a brain surgeon he sure was dense. She reached over to grab his hand. "I'm not talking about work, silly. OUR project," she guided his hand down to her flat stomach and spread his palm across it, putting her hand on top of his, holding it in place. Derek looked down at their hands and then looked up at her with a surprised expression._

"_Meredith…Mer…what…are you…are we…we're…help me out here!" he finally exclaimed. Meredith giggled at him and pressed his hand harder into her stomach._

"_Okay, Derek Shepherd, in seven months you are going to be a father. Mission accomplished." Derek sat with his hand on her stomach, mouth slightly hanging open, and eyes bulging out of his head. _

"_Are you going to say anything?" she asked him. Derek's gaze moved from her stomach to her eyes and his expression slowly changed from shock to awe._

"_You're having my baby?" he asked quietly, tears forming in his eyes._

"_Yes, I'm having your baby, Derek," Meredith repeated softly, inching her chair closer to him. "Our baby. We're having a baby."_

_Derek looked at her with tears spilling from his eyes. "Say it again, so it sinks in this time," he whispered._

_Meredith reached over, wiped his tears, and pulled his face to hers so that their noses almost touched. "We are having a baby. We made a baby together. You're going to be a Daddy and I'm going to be a Mommy." Meredith felt tears rolling down her cheeks._

_Derek leaned in and kissed her passionately. He pulled away and wiped away her tears. "I love you, Meredith, more than you could ever imagine." _

Derek groaned as he heard Noah crying from his bed. He looked over at Meredith, who was snoring soundly, oblivious to her son's cries. Derek reached over to nudge her slightly to see if the movement would wake her. Instead, Meredith snored once loudly, muttered something incoherent, and rolled over. Derek sighed in frustration, got out of bed and made his way to Noah's room.

"You bellowed, Mister Shepherd," he said in a deep voice, coming up to Noah's crib and looking down at his son. Noah was distracted by his mobile hanging above his crib, but when his father came into focus, he broke out in a huge smile. Derek smiled back at him, but made no attempt to pick him up.

"You know, kiddo, most six month olds cut their parents some slack and sleep all night," Derek informed him, peering down at him, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms in mock frustration. "Give me one good reason why you're wide awake right now andnot sleeping."

Noah seemed oblivious to Derek's statement and squealed happily, wiggling around and holding his arms out in anticipation of being picked up by his father. Derek sighed, "Daddy doesn't want to play now, he has to get sleep. He has to perform surgery in five hours. Surgery that requires the surgeon to get sleep. Do you know what sleep is?"

Noah babbled loudly as he kept his gaze on his father. Derek reached up and cranked the mobile that Noah loved to watch and usually made him drift off to sleep. He reached in and covered Noah with the blanket and blew a kiss to him. " Night, buddy. Sweet dreams."

Derek left Noah to his mobile and made his way back to bed to his snoring wife. As he settled under the covers and adjusted his pillow, Noah began to babble again as the music began to slow down. Derek ignored it as he spooned against Meredith and closed his eyes. The babbling continued. Derek closed his eyes tighter and threw the comforter over his head. This time, the babble had a 'you'd better come and pick me up before I scream' tone to it. Derek sighed into Meredith's hair, detached himself from her and rolled out of bed.

He walked back into Noah's room and stood looking in the crib. Noah stared back at him with wide eyes. Derek reached in to pick him up and kissed his chubby cheek. Noah patted his face with one hand and got a firm grip of Derek's hair with the other. He pulled Derek's hair to reach his face so that he could give him a slobbery kiss on his chin. "Well, thank you." Derek said as he wiped his chin on his shirt sleeve. "Make sure to give mommy a kiss just like that when she wakes up." Noah giggled at his father.

Derek walked him over to the changing table to change his diaper. He leaned in to blow a raspberry kiss on Noah's naked belly, the noise making Noah giggle loudly. Derek laughed at his giggle and did it again. Noah giggled louder. This went on a few more times until Noah got two full fists of Derek's hair, pulling hard.

Derek winced as he pried the little hands from his hair. He zipped up his sleeper and picked him up, whispering in his ear, "Mommy is the only one I let pull my hair." Derek made his way to the rocking chair, cradling Noah in his arms as he sat down. They rocked silently for a few minutes as Derek studied Noah's face. He still had a hard time believing that after all this time, he was finally a father. A father to the most adorable baby that ever existed. Noah was the product of the deep love he felt for Meredith. Life couldn't get any better than this.

Derek watched Noah's eyes flutter shut and rocked him a few more minutes to be sure he was asleep. He shifted him slightly to see if the movement would wake him, but he stayed asleep. Derek gently placed him in his bed, covered him up, and quietly left his room.

He crawled back in bed and tried to get comfortable. He reached for Meredith and pulled her close to him, molding his body around her.

"I told you all the late nights of father, son bonding would bite you in the ass eventually," Meredith said sleepily, intertwining her fingers with his on the hand that was pressed on her stomach.

"Hush, woman, I see how you are. You get awake once he falls back to sleep. Perfect timing, " he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek and tightening his arms around her more.

"Well, I wouldn't have gotten awake if I didn't hear loud giggling when someone was giving him raspberry kisses. Seriously, Derek, no wonder the kid doesn't sleep all night. You're keeping him up by playing with him."

"Well, I set him straight with the rules this time. I was stern, he was shaking in his Pampers." Derek nuzzled his nose in her neck.

"Rules?" Meredith giggled. "And you expect him to abide by those rules? I hate to break it to you, but he has you wrapped around his little finger. From the day that kid was born, you've been following his rules." Meredith giggled into her pillow. "Nice try, though."

Derek groaned. "He does not have me wrapped around his little finger. I'm boss, he knows it. He's just testing his boundaries."

Meredith turned her body around to wrap her arms around him and kissed him fully on the lips. "I like it when you take charge, Der. It makes me hot for you," she whispered against his lips as she moved her hands under his shirt and lightly scraped her fingernails over his back. Derek groaned in appreciation and reached under her shirt to cup her breasts. "Between the two of you, I'm not getting any sleep tonight." he said. Both groaned when they heard Noah babbling from his room.

"Maybe he'll go back to sleep," Meredith mumbled as she kissed his neck.

Derek sighed. "Nope, he's up and currently breaking rule number two."

Meredith looked up at him curiously as Derek rolled out of bed. "What's rule number two?" she asked.

"Waking up when Daddy is trying to get laid," Derek grumbled.

Meredith smiled. "Remind him who the boss is and who makes the rules, " she teased.

"Such a smart ass," Derek replied as he left the room.

_**I'll update again, soon. I hope everyone enjoys!!**_


	4. Making Time for Us

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's or the characters.**

"I am so glad we did this," Meredith whispered to Derek as they sat in a corner booth at Emerald City Bar where they met Mark and Lexie for dinner and drinks. Izzie had offered to baby sit Noah, telling them to stay out all night if they wanted to. Derek turned to look at her, smiling.

"Me, too. I forgot what it's like to go on a double date with friends." He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and kissing her cheek.

Meredith giggled as she sucked the last of her apple martini through her straw and sighed. "I need another drink," she announced, sliding her way across the booth to make her way to the bar. "Der, you need anything?" she asked, standing up. Derek shook his head at her.

Lexie swatted Mark on the shoulder motioning for him to let her out. "Hang on, Mer, I'll go with you." she said, standing up from her seat and following Meredith to the bar.

"So, you watch the Yankee game on Saturday?" Mark asked Derek as he sipped his drink.

"Well, no," Derek replied, causing Mark to stare at him in shock.

"You didn't watch the game? Are you kidding me? You're the biggest Yankee's fan I know, besides me. What were you doing that you didn't watch it?" Mark questioned.

"None of your business," Derek said sternly, sloshing the liquid around in his glass.

"Were you and Grey playing show and tell again? I swear you two are like bunnies…"

Derek cut him off. "Meredith and I were not having sex, Mark, get your mind out of the gutter. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even with Meredith on Saturday. She was at the hospital and I had Noah."

Mark chuckled. "You passed up a Yankee game for a Winnie the Pooh marathon? Nice."

Derek sighed, ignoring Mark's comment. "I took Noah to the 'Daddy and Me' group at the recreation center downtown." Derek waited for Mark to start teasing him.

"'Daddy and Me' group?" Mark repeated as he laughed loudly. "You're kidding, right? What do you do there? Make mud pies? Cookies? Share potty training tips? What?"

Derek took a sip of his drink. "Meredith thought it would be a good thing for Noah and I to do together, so she signed us up and I told her that I would try it out before I said no. It's actually interesting. They give you tips on ways to interact with your baby at every age level, I learned a lot."

"Meredith signed you up?" Mark questioned. "Dude, I see who wears the pants in your relationship."

"Shut up, Mark," Derek said.

"Speaking of pants, Shep, someone is trying to get into your woman's pants as we speak." Mark pointed at the bar where Meredith and Lexie were standing. Derek's eyes followed to where Mark was pointing and immediately felt his grip become tighter on his glass. A man was leaning into the bar, talking to his wife and was entirely too close to her. Derek felt his anger begin to rise at the sight.

"Excuse me for one minute," Derek said to Mark as put his glass down and got out of his seat. Mark snickered, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "This should be good," he mumbled to himself.

Derek casually walked over to where Meredith and Lexie were standing and wedged himself in between the two girls. He held out his hand to the moron who was making eyes at his wife. "Hi, Derek Shepherd, and you are?" _so dead_, he thought. The man tore his gaze from Meredith long enough to extend his hand to Derek to shake it. Derek tightened his grip as he shook his hand, _she's mine, asshole! _

"Matt Winslow," the man replied, wincing as Derek's grip intensified. _Stop looking at my wife before I personally remove your eyeballs, _Derek shook his hand slowly.

Meredith watched Derek, wide eyed as he talked to the guy. _Say something, Meredith_, she thought to herself, _ohhh_, _but look how hot Derek is when he's jealous_.

"Matt," Derek said slowly, "is there anything that I can help you with tonight?" Meredith felt her face turning red. Lexie giggled nervously and hurried over to the booth to sit with Mark.

"Um, no, I was just in the middle of a conversation with this beautiful woman when you interrupted," Matt informed Derek. Derek felt his temperature rise, _you apparently want me to kick the shit out of you , _he thought_. _"Yes, she is a beautiful woman. As a matter of fact, just as beautiful as the day I married her," _stupid son of a bitch_! Derek put his arm along Meredith's shoulders and pulled her to him. Meredith smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist.

_Never gets jealous, my ass, _she thought to herself. Matt's eyes got wide as he realized why Derek had interrupted their conversation. "It..it..was nice to…to meet you, Meredith. Have a…a nice night." Matt hurried away.

Meredith turned to Derek and crossed her arms. "What is wrong with you?" she asked. "He was just asking what was fun to do in Seattle, he's a tourist."

"Uh huh, he definitely wanted a tour of the sights and he didn't mean Seattle." Derek replied, his eyes dark with jealousy.

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Derek, you are ridiculous! And I thought you didn't get jealous."

"I wasn't jealous," Derek lied. "Just letting him know what's mine". Meredith giggled at his comment.

"At least he didn't ask me if this was a good place to hang out, " Meredith teased. Derek raised his eyebrows at her, but didn't respond knowing full well that she was referring to the pick up line he used on her years ago. He cleared his throat loudly, "Grab your drink and let's get back to the table, our food will be ready soon."

*****************************************************************************

"That kid looks more and more like Shepherd every day," Mark told Meredith as he walked into Derek's office. Meredith looked up from the chart she was reading. "I feel bad for him, poor kid. I hope he gets the hair under control long before his dad ever did." Mark laughed at the memory of Derek in high school with the afro and the band uniform. "And whatever you do, don't let the kid play in the band. I spend years getting into fights, defending Derek because he played the sax."

Meredith smiled and glanced at Noah who was sitting on a blanket, surrounded by his toys and eating a cookie. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"Waiting for Lexie to finish paperwork. We have a hot date tonight." Mark got on his hands and knees beside Noah and patted him on top of the head. Noah offered Mark a bite of the slobbery cookie that he was eating. Mark pretended to take a bite, "Thanks, Buddy, that is one good cookie. What's going on? You get kicked out of daycare because you're too good looking?" He asked Noah. Noah giggled.

Meredith smiled at the scene in front of her. Although Mark was immature and self absorbed, it was obvious how much he adored his nephew. "I'm done for the day and I got him before Derek could. He hogs him. Besides, yesterday from the time we dropped him off in the morning till the time we picked him up, he grew like eight inches or something. He's getting too big, too fast," she said

Mark chuckled. "Pretty soon, Derek's going to be sniffing at you to get back on the baby making wagon."

"I don't think so. I think he's having too much fun with Noah to be thinking about another baby." Meredith said.

"Don't be so sure, Grey, you should have heard him the other day talking about the two month old consult he had, saying how adorable of a baby he was and how he missed Junior here being that small," Mark joked. "I saw that look on him before, actually now that I think about it, right before he knocked you up with his clone."

"_Want to get a drink?" Mark asked Derek as they left the hospital. Meredith was stuck at the hospital for another night and Derek hated the idea of going home alone. _

"_Might as well. I hate going home alone," Derek replied._

_They walked quickly across the street to Joe's and sat at the bar. Both ordered a single malt scotch and sat quietly while eating peanuts. Mark looked over at Derek curiously. "What's up, man? You look weird."_

_Derek stared at the liquid in his glass. "I am anticipating a Meredith freak out in the near future," he replied._

"_Wow, what gives? What's the occasion?" Mark asked._

_Derek stared at the counter with a slight smile on his lips. "I want a baby with Meredith. I'm ready to be a dad, but not sure how Mer will take it. I don't want to rush her, but lately it's all a think about."_

"_What makes you think she'll freak out?" Mark asked._

"_I just have a feeling, we haven't been married that long," Derek said slowly, sipping his scotch. _

_Mark studied Derek for a moment and then cleared his throat, "If I'm not mistaken, that new home you built has five bedrooms, four not being used except for the time I slept in one when Lex was mad at me and locked me out. Four bedrooms that, if I recall correctly, Meredith wanted. Now, why would she want four bedrooms unless she wanted to use them eventually?" Mark asked._

_Derek felt his anxiety lift slightly. "Yeah, but eventually is a lot different than actually. I have to anticipate some form of her freaking out. It's a big step. Mer doesn't do big steps well and I need to figure out how to ask her casually."_

"_Well, good luck with that, but in the meantime, let's drink to your future children who will be lucky to have an uncle as good looking as me." Mark raised his glass for Derek to follow his motion. _

_Derek rolled his eyes and picked up his glass, "You're like the worst, most juvenile human being I've ever met in my life, but I'll drink to it."_

Meredith felt a little hand patting her face, pulling her from the sleep that she was in. She opened her eyes to find Noah and Derek looking at her from Derek's side of the bed. When Noah saw that he had woken up his mother, he clapped his hands together. "Ma! Up!" he said and he leaned over to give her a slobbery kiss.

Meredith smiled at him as she wiped her cheek. "How often does a girl wake up to two handsome men in her bed?" she teased, grabbing Noah and molding him to her.

"Mama," he said softly, cuddling into her. Derek moved closer and wrapped his arms around both of them, leaning in to give his wife a soft, lingering kiss. Meredith sighed when the kiss ended as Derek nuzzled her neck with his nose and whispered in her ear, "consider yourself a lucky woman, because men like us are hard to come by." She smiled as they both looked down at Noah who had drifted off to sleep clutching Meredith's shirt. They both lay there quietly, watching their son sleep between them.

"I can't believe how big he's getting. He's almost not a baby anymore," Derek said softly as he ran his hand along Noah's full head of dark curls.

Meredith watched Derek's sad face and remembered the conversation that she had with Mark a few days before. She reached over to run her fingers through his hair as he looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Der, he's still a baby. He's not even a year yet. I think he's a lot more fun now that he's older. All he did was eat, sleep and poop when he was little and I like the fact that he's no longer permanently attached to my breast."

Derek laughed, "Me, too. I hated sharing, but don't you miss it? Don't you miss the baby stage?"

Meredith thought for a moment. "I guess maybe a little. I liked just sitting and holding him without him wiggling to get down. I miss that and the way he used to smell, like a new baby. Now," she leaned in to sniff him, "he smells good, but not like a new baby. But then I remember how miserable I was when I was pregnant, especially towards the end. I can't believe you're still around after what I put you through," she joked.

Derek looked at her with wide eyes. "Yeah, you were definitely miserable, but hot as hell."

"_I want ice cream… strawberry," Meredith declared, looking over at Derek who was reading the sports section of the Seattle Times. She waited for him to respond._

_She cleared her throat, "I said," she said loudly, "I want strawberry ice cream."_

"_Then go get some," Derek replied, not looking up._

_Meredith was getting agitated. She grabbed the newspaper from Derek's hands and smacked him on the head with it. Derek looked at her, shocked. "What the hell was that for?" he asked._

"_When your seven month pregnant wife asks you for ice cream, the least you can do is get it for her," she replied, glaring at him. "I am carrying your child, Derek, and my feet are swollen and my legs and back hurt__and the thought of going down those stairs makes everything ache more, so go get me ice cream." She demanded._

_Derek looked at her for a moment. Finally he sighed and flung the covers off of him. "Is there anything else you'd like while I'm down there, your majesty?" he asked sarcastically. _

"_No, smartass, just ice cream. Now, hurry up, before I go into withdrawal," she sighed dramatically as she leaned against her pillow. _

_Derek made his way down the hall, down the stairs and into the dark kitchen. Meredith's mood swings were getting worse the closer she got to having the baby. She still had ten more weeks until she was due, but Derek knew those ten weeks were going to be grueling for him. He turned on the light in the kitchen and made his way to the refrigerator, opening the freezer. He sighed as he retrieved the container of strawberry ice cream and walked over to the counter. He was searching for the scoop when the house phone rang._

_Derek reached for the phone, "Hello?" he said._

"_Hey," the voice replied._

"_Meredith? What are you doing? Where are you?" He asked, puzzled._

"_I'm calling from my cell. Can you also bring up a big bowl of potato chips? I bought some yesterday at the store and they are in the pantry. I need the ice cream to dip my chips in."_

"_Mer, you're calling me from upstairs? Seriously? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he said._

"_I told you, I am too tired to MOVE. And be thankful that I saved you an extra trip downstairs to get the chips. I was thinking of you when I called, Derek. I didn't want for you to have to make two trips. See how you are? You are so ungrateful. You're ungrateful when I ask you to get me things, you're ungrateful when I need you to do something for me, and I'm beginning to think that you're ungrateful that I am taking the time to grow YOUR child inside my body." Derek heard a click as Meredith hung up._

_He hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes. "I love my wife, I love my wife, she's pregnant with my child, I love my wife," he muttered to himself as he continued scooping ice cream into a bowl. He put the ice cream back into the freezer and walked to the pantry to get the bag of chips, but stubbed his toe on the bar stool along the way. "Ouch!" he yelped, hobbling to sit on the stool and rub his toe for a moment. "I love my wife, I love my wife, ." he said repeatedly, getting up and limping to the pantry, grabbing the chips and pouring them into a big bowl. He walked up the stairs and down the hall to their room with his wife's order._

"_Here you go," he announced, presenting her with her food. _

_Meredith looked at him happily. "You are the best husband in the world," she said, eagerly grabbing the items from him and starting to devour them. Derek looked at her, stunned._

_You're not mad at me?" he asked as he got back in bed._

"_WhywouldIbemad?" she asked quickly, her mouth full of food. She scooped a chip into the ice cream and shoved it into her mouth. "Iloveyou."_

_Derek watched his wife inhale the ice cream and chips and put the bowls on the night stand beside her. She let out a big belch. She giggled. "Oops, excuse me!"_

_Meredith leaned back into her pillows and sighed. "That was sooo good, thank you for feeding us," she smiled at Derek, rubbing her stomach. _

_Derek reached over and rubbed her stomach, too. "I'm glad that I could make you happy. I live to make you both happy." He watched Meredith's eyes turn from happiness to longing as she rolled over and straddled him. _

"_You know what else will make me happy," she whispered seductively as she ran her hands up his chest. _

_Derek smiled widely at her. "What's that?" he asked as she leaned into him to kiss him passionately, slipping her tongue into his mouth. "How else can I make you happy?" he asked her after they ended the kiss._

_Meredith lifted her shirt over her head and threw it to the floor, giving Derek full view of her breasts and swollen belly. "I want you, Derek, right now. I want you inside me, deep inside me. I want you to make me scream your name. I want to come for you. I want to make you come," she said as she scooted down slightly to sit on his thighs. He lifted his torso up slightly to help her ease his boxers down so that she could stroke him._

_Derek's eyes rolled back and he moaned in pleasure. I love my wife, I love my wife, I really, REALLY love my wife, he said to himself._

Meredith walked into the resident's lounge to start her twelve hour shift. Derek had the day off, so he was home with Noah. He said that they would be in to have lunch with her today, knowing that her leaving them made her upset.

Meredith sighed as she sat down on the bench to tie her sneaker. She felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Good morning," she smiled into the phone.

"Hey, Mer, you'll never guess what Noah did!" Derek said excitedly into the phone.

"What?" she asked.

"He took three steps all by himself. He's walking, Mer!" Derek laughed into the phone. Meredith felt her heart drop in her chest. Her baby took his first steps and she wasn't there. She had missed seeing him crawl for the first time, too.

"Mer?" Derek asked. "Honey, you there?"

Meredith cleared her throat, trying to fight back tears. "Yeah, I'm here. That is fabulous news! Was he scared? What was his reaction?" She wanted to know all the details.

"Well, you know the look on his face when he saw Santa at the mall? It was that look, the look of pure fear. He scared himself when he did it. After he realized that he was walking, he got that look and flopped down. He didn't cry, though."

"I'm sorry I missed it," she said softly, tears rolling down her face. "Oh, Der, I gotta go. Bailey's paging me 911, love you both," she lied and hung up.

"_I think we should get this crib," Derek said, pointing to the cherry crib in the corner of the furniture store. "Look, Mer, it has drawers underneath it to store stuff."_

_Meredith waddled over to the crib that Derek was referring to. She ran her hand along the smooth wood and tried to picture their baby lying in it._

_Derek snuck his arm around her and pulled her close to him, using his other hand to rub her stomach. "Imagine our baby in there," he whispered in her ear, like he had read her mind. _

"_I am," Meredith whispered back. "It is a beautiful crib, and it will match the rocking chair that your mom bought for the nursery. __Oh, and there's the dresser that matches." She left his embrace to walk over to the dresser, opening the drawers to peer inside. _

"_Can I help you two with anything?" the salesman asked, coming up to stand beside Derek. "Getting ready for baby, I see," he motioned to Meredith's stomach. "How much longer?" he asked._

"_Four weeks," Derek replied proudly. _

"_Is this your first?" the salesman asked. Derek and Meredith nodded. The salesman chuckled. "Well, I'm the father of four boys, and let me tell you, they keep you busy. Thank God my wife was a stay at home mom and we didn't have to have a daycare raise our kids."_

_Meredith's smile faded at the comment the salesman made. She felt her heart drop. Derek looked at her intently, knowing that the salesman's comment had upset her. Derek interrupted the salesman's spiel about the crib they were looking at. "I'm sorry, could you please excuse us?" Derek interrupted, grabbing Meredith's hand and leading her out the door, leaving the shocked salesman in mid sentence. Derek walked her to the car and opened the door for her. He closed her door once she was situated and sat in the driver's seat. They sat silently for a moment. _

_Finally, Meredith spoke up. "Our baby will go to daycare," she said softly, tears streaming down her face. "Does that mean that I'm a bad mother because our baby will go to daycare and I can't stay at home?"_

"_Mer, No!" Derek said firmly, brushing her hair out of her face and wiping her tears. _

"_Just because our baby will go to daycare doesn't mean that we're not raising him or her and it doesn't mean that you're a bad mother or I'm a bad father. It means that we are showing our child, our children, that there is more to life than just Mom and Dad. My mom stayed at home and because of that, I was shy and backwards, especially with four annoying sisters. I didn't make friends easily when I went to kindergarten. Hell, maybe if I had gone to daycare someone could have told me long before I figured out that there was such a thing as hair care products." Meredith giggled through her tears at his joke, reaching up to run her hand through his hair._

"_We are helping our children to become prepared for the real world. They'll need to interact with other kids to learn how to share and get along with others. If not, they'll turn out like Mark." He smiled at her and rubbed her belly. "We're in this together, Mer. Don't forget that."_

"_I won't, I'm okay" she sighed. _

"_You're okay," Derek agreed._

_Meredith turned to him and smiled. "Let's go back in and get our baby's furniture. Then, lets stop at Dairy Queen because I so could use a strawberry milkshake."_

_Derek chuckled, "I love you, Meredith Shepherd." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips._

_Meredith sighed, "I love you, too, with all your hair care products." _

Meredith smiled as she saw Derek walk through the doors of the cafeteria, carrying Noah. Noah squealed when he saw his mother.

"Come here," Derek demanded, pulling her up out of her seat, out of the cafeteria and down the hall to the on call room. Meredith looked at him confused as he turned on the light and closed the door.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sit down over there," he said, pointing to the spot in front of the chair. Meredith did as he said and looked at him questioningly. He put Noah on his feet and steadied him. "Our son is going to walk to you. Go to mommy, Noah," he prompted him.

Noah giggled and held his arms out for balance, taking two wobbly steps towards his mommy. He stopped for a moment, trying to regain his balance. Meredith held out her hands to him as she watched him take three more unassisted steps into her arms. He put his little chubby arms around her neck and gave her a slobbery kiss on her cheek. She pulled him into a tight hug. "Big boy, Noah! You're such a big boy!" she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.

Derek walked over to them and knelt down, kissing her fully on her lips. "Noah wanted me to tell you that he wanted you to be the first person that he walked to."

Meredith looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Seriously, I'm the first person that he's ever walked to?" she asked. Derek nodded. "How did you know it bothered me not seeing him walk?" she asked him.

"Because I am your husband and I can read you like a book," he said.

Meredith giggled. "Oh really? You think you can read me?"

Derek nodded. "Yep, and Noah and I ran into Dr. Bailey and Tuck at the grocery store. Apparently she has today off. She paged you 911 on her day off, huh?"

**********************************************************************

Derek walked into the kitchen from the garage after work, hearing voices in the living room. He walked to the archway adjoining the kitchen and living room and leaned against it, taking in the sight in front of him. Meredith had Noah in her lap, leaning against the couch, in an intense game of Peek-A-Boo. Both were oblivious to the fact that he had arrived home. He watched as Meredith covered Noah's face with a blanket. "Where's Noah, has anyone seen Noah?" she asked. Noah started to giggle. "Noah? Where are you?" she called. She then yanked the blanket down, startling him. "Peek-a-boo! There you are!" she squealed in her best baby voice. Noah laughed hysterically at his mother.

Derek chuckled at the sound of his son's giggle. It was music to his ears. Meredith looked up at the sound, noticing Derek.

"Hey, when did you get home? Noah! Look! Daddy's home!" Noah turned his head and spied his father and started squealing.

"Da!" he yelled, holding his arms out to him, his body trembling in excitement. He hopped up and down on Meredith's lap. Derek walked over to them and scooped him up out of Meredith's lap, giving him noisy kisses on both his cheeks. Meredith stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey, I missed you today," he said, leaning in to press his lips to hers in a quick kiss. Noah placed his chubby hands on both sides of Derek's face, making Derek look at him. Noah placed a slobbery kiss on his nose, and then pulled back to see Derek's expression, smiling widely.

"Thanks, Bud, just what I needed," Derek joked, burying his nose in Noah's shirt to wipe off the drool, tickling his belly in the process. Noah giggled and grabbed two full fists of Derek's hair.

"No pulling Daddy's hair, Noah. No, no," Meredith softly scolded him. Noah looked at her with a devastated expression on his face, releasing Derek's hair. His bottom lip turned out into a pout and began to quiver.

Meredith looked at Derek, who was trying unsuccessfully to distract him from crying by tickling his side. Noah ignored Derek's attempts and burst into tears, his cry becoming more shrilling with each breath. "Noah," Derek said, "shh, Noah, hey calm down, buddy don't cry," he soothed, walking him around the room. He picked up Noah's blanket and handed it to him. Noah grabbed it and buried his face in it, his cries changing to hiccups.

"I feel like crap now," Meredith stated, flopping down on the couch. Derek walked over to the couch to sit next to her, putting Noah in his lap. Derek put his arm around her and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Mer, he can't pull hair and he's old enough to be corrected for it. You did the right thing. I would have done it if I wasn't his victim at the time," he told her.

Meredith smiled sadly. "I know. I just don't like to hear him cry," she said, smoothing Noah's hair. Noah leaned over and grabbed Meredith's shirt, pulling himself to her and settling into her lap. "Mama," he said softly, snuggling into her chest.

"See? He's over it already," Derek said.

Meredith laughed, wrapping her arms around Noah. "He's such a smooth talker, the little goober. I correct him and he cries, making me feel like crap. Then loves me up when he's over it. I wonder where he learned that from?" she teased.

"His mother," Derek replied, winking at her.

**So, I watched the finale and it left me in agony. I must say that I had a hard time writing Izzie in this chapter, knowing that on the real show, she might not make it. And George? Let's not go there.**

**I like getting reviews, so please drop me one or two. Preferably not on a Post it note, though (ha ha).**


	5. Baby Talk

**Disclaimer: I had a dream once that I actually did own Grey's Anatomy. I was all happy, then one of the writers came to me and told me that they could not write an entire episode of MerDer sex because it had no plot…..well, crap! Anyway, like I said, it was a dream. I don't own Grey's and I probably never will.**

"What time are you off tonight?" Derek asked Meredith as he leaned against the bathroom door frame, watching her get ready for work.

"Six, why?" She looked at him while brushing her hair.

Derek walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I thought that you and I could have a quiet evening at home tonight. I'll make dinner, we'll hold hands across the table, and hopefully do lots of other couple-y things in the horizontal position perhaps," he wiggled his eyebrows at her in the mirror.

Meredith laughed and turned around to wrap her arms around his neck. "Der, it sounds fabulous, but how can we have a quiet night at home with a fifteen month old? You know how wound up he gets when both of us are home." She kissed him quickly.

"Noah has plans," Derek said simply, "He has a date."

Meredith laughed. "A date?" She laughed again. "With who?"

"His Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie. They want to take him to Chuck E. Cheese. Mark heard they have new air hockey game and he wanted to check it out." Derek leaned in to kiss her neck.

Meredith moaned in pleasure at the feel of his lips. "Well, since he's made other plans, we should take advantage of being alone. What are you making for dinner?"

"What do you want?" He kissed her forehead.

"Hmmm," she thought. "I could so go for lasagna."

"Lasagna it is." He kissed her again. Meredith smiled devilishly at him. "What?" he asked.

"You know what goes well with lasagna?" she asked him.

"No, what?"

"One of those chocolate pie thingys from La Jeune Chef." She raised her eyebrows at him suggestively.

Derek laughed. "It's called a chocolate tart and give me one reason why I should get you one."

Meredith pulled his face to hers to kiss him deeply, running her tongue along the inside of his mouth. "Hmm, well, I love you," she said against his lips, pulling away to look in his eyes and run her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm, I suppose that's a good reason," he whispered, stupefied by the kiss.

They were interrupted by Noah toddling into the bathroom from their bedroom. He looked at Meredith with a guilty expression on his face. "Mama, uh oh," he said, pointing with his chubby finger towards their bedroom. He turned unsteadily and went back into the bedroom.

Derek frowned, "Uh oh? That can't be good." They rushed out of the bathroom to where their son was standing. Meredith gasped and Derek groaned. Noah stood looking at them soberly, pointing at his crayon art work that adorned the wall. The wall that was once the color that Meredith had fallen in love with. Now, the light blue wall was covered with squiggles of a variety of colors, but only a third of the way up the wall, as high as Noah could reach. "Uh oh," Noah said again.

Derek crossed his arms and looked at him sternly, "Young man, did you do this?"

Noah shook his head no and pointed at the wall again. "Uh oh," he said again.

Meredith could feel a giggle coming on. Her son was precious and he didn't conceive the idea that it was inevitable who the culprit was. It was just too funny. She covered her mouth to shield Noah from seeing her reaction.

Derek turned quickly to look at her. "Mer, a little back-up here," he hissed. "He needs disciplined for this." She looked at the wall again, to Noah, and back at Derek and burst into a fit of giggles, throwing herself face down on the bed.

Noah looked at his mother curiously. "Da-yee," he addressed Derek. "Mama o-tay?" Derek walked over to Noah, ignoring Meredith's howling, and knelt down in front of him. "No, son, your Mommy needs a spanking." Meredith laughed harder. "Buddy, we don't color on the walls. We color on paper or coloring books." Derek explained in his most stern voice, pointing to the wall. "This was bad. Coloring on the walls is bad."

Noah threw his arms around his father and kissed the tip of his nose. "Me luz you, Da-yee" he proclaimed, petting his father's hair. Derek sighed, feeling his heart melt. He kissed Noah's cheek, "I love you, too, Bud." _Definitely his mother's child, _he thought.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Meredith walked into the hospital cafeteria and spotted her person at a table in the corner of the room. Cristina looked up, spotted Meredith, and waved at her. Meredith smiled and walked over to where she was sitting.

"Hey, you got my lunch for me, thanks," Meredith stated as Cristina shoved a tuna salad sandwich and yogurt in her direction. "See? This is why we're friends," she joked, opening up her bottled water to take a drink.

Cristina looked at her amused. "I knew something was up when you texted me to meet you for lunch today. Comfort food always helps. So," Cristina paused, "What's up?"

Meredith chewed on her sandwich for a moment. "Well, nothing's really up. I just needed to talk to you." She swallowed and cleared her throat. "I think Derek wants to have another baby." She waited for Cristina's reaction.

Cristina raised her eyebrows at her. "Did he say he wants another baby?" Cristina asked her.

"Well, no, not in so many words, but he's been acting weird lately. Yesterday, I saw him looking at Noah's baby album, studying it like it was some neurosurgery magazine, or something. And the sex? The sex is amazing, not like it's usually not, but lately there's a lot more foreplay, more than usual, and he takes his time…"

"Can't you see that I'm eating my lunch here? I don't need to here about you and McDreamy's romps between the sheets when I'm trying to eat," Cristina said.

"Okay, so Derek is all into you and your kid. How does that translate into he wants another baby."

"He's been dropping hints," Meredith announced, ripping off a piece of her napkin and rolling it into a ball. "And he's making me dinner tonight."

"So? He always makes dinner. He banned you from the kitchen, remember?"

"That's entirely my point. He always makes dinner, so why would he need to remind me that he's making it? And Mark and Lexie are taking Noah for the night. It's not just dinner. He wants to be alone. He wants something," Meredith raised her eyebrows.

Cristina looked at her with a puzzled expression. Meredith sighed at her friends lack of understanding. "The last time Derek Shepherd made me an announced dinner, he brought up having a baby."

Cristina nodded. "Okay, I see your point. If I recall, you did have a baby. You don't want another baby?"

Meredith shook her head. "No! I don't want to have another baby right now. I hardly get to spend time with Noah. Having another baby will make it twice as bad. I will have double the guilt."

"Well, maybe he wants to get a dog or something and that's what he wants to talk about." Cristina suggested.

Meredith gave her a small smile. "Doubt it. All the signs are there. Derek's face flashes baby and I need to be involved in order for him to get what he wants," she sighed, putting her hand under her chin. "I'm afraid that this time, I just may not be onboard with it."

"_Derek, this steak is incredible," Meredith said, chewing intently on her dinner. "You've outdone yourself again."_

_Derek smiled at his wife. "I live to please you, my dear. I'm glad that we got to spend some time together. It's been nonstop at the hospital lately. I missed you," he said, offering his hand from across the table. _

_Meredith smiled, reaching for his hand. "I missed you, too. Like crazy missed you. Our busy schedules do make nights like this more meaningful, though."_

_Derek nodded in understanding. This night did have meaning for him. He racked his brain for the past few weeks on how he was going to approach the subject of a baby with her. Things had been especially busy at the hospital lately, so they hadn't been able to talk much. Derek had decided on their first night off together, he would plan a romantic evening at home, making her dinner and casually bringing it up. He was nervous._

_Meredith looked at her husband curiously. He was acting particularly strange this evening. _

"_Der, what's going on?" she asked squeezing his hand gently. _

_Derek looked at her intently. "I love you," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers._

_Meredith smiled at him, "I know, I love you, too, but what's wrong?"_

_Derek pulled his hand away from hers to fidget with his silverware. "Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to talk to you about something that's been on my mind," he informed her, looking at her and giving her an unsure smile._

_Meredith put her fork down softly and placed her hands on her lap. "Okay, let's talk. What's on your mind?" she prompted._

_Derek inhaled deeply and blurted ,"Well, I know we haven't been married that long and I would understand if you wouldn't want to yet, but I was thinking that maybe," he paused, "maybe we could start trying to have a baby."_

_Meredith opened her mouth to say something, but Derek quickly interrupted her. "I know it's sudden and I'm sorry, but lately, it's all I can think about. I'm ready to be a father, hell, I've been ready for years, but now that I have you, the woman that I want to be the mother of my children, Mer, it's all I think about."_

"_Derek." Meredith said._

"_I'll understand if you're not ready and I'll wait. I'll wait for you to be ready. I just wanted you to know how I feel about it," he continued._

"_Derek." Meredith said again._

"_It's a big step, being a mother and a resident both, and we can wait a few more years. I just don't want to have one foot in the nursing home when we do decide to have a baby, Mer. I just want to be able to do things with them, like throw the football around, go to ballet recitals…"_

"_Derek!" Meredith said loudly, getting his attention. "Could I please say something here?"_

"_Oh, yes…yes, Mer. I'm sorry. What?" he asked._

"_You want to have a baby?" she asked. Derek nodded slowly._

"_Right now?" she asked._

_Derek laughed. "No, nine months from now," he joked._

_Meredith was silent for a moment. "Okay," she said. Derek looked at her in shock._

"_Okay?" he repeated. She watched his eyes light up as he figured out what she was saying okay to. "Okay?" he said again, hopefully._

_Meredith nodded, smiling at him. "Yes, okay, let's have a baby, or at least start trying to have a baby."_

"_You're serious?" he asked incredulously, his eyes pleading with her. _

"_I'm serious, let's have a baby," she stated, getting up from her chair, coming around the table and settling into Derek's lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, meeting his lips to hers in a soft kiss. _

"_That was easier than I thought it was going to be," he chuckled after the kiss ended, nuzzling his nose into her neck and breathing her in. _

_Meredith laughed at his statement. "Did you honestly think that was going to say no?" she asked him, running her fingers through his hair. _

_Derek sighed, "Yes, I was bracing myself for a freak out," he told her honestly._

_Meredith raised her eyebrows at him, "Seriously?" she asked him. Derek nodded._

"_Well, if you haven't noticed, I didn't freak out. As a matter of fact, I embraced the idea. You underestimate me, Derek Shepherd."_

"_I'm sorry, Mer. I really don't underestimate you, I think I was just apprehensive. I didn't want to be ready if you weren't and I didn't want to pressure you into having a baby if I brought it up and you weren't ready," he reached down to intertwine his fingers with hers, "I just want to do everything right and be a good husband to you. I want you to be happy."_

"_Derek, I am happy. You are the best husband a woman could ever ask for. You being you makes me happy, and the only thing that could make me happier is to have your baby." Meredith leaned in to kiss him again. _

_Derek pulled away and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "We're really going to try to have a baby?"_

"_Yes," Meredith nodded. _

_Derek beamed from ear to ear. "I can't believe that you and I agreed on something without debating it." _

_Meredith gave him a sly smile and nodded. "Yes, honey, there's no debating this. It's a fact that you're not getting any younger. I'll need your help raising the kids before I put your ass in a nursing home."_

"Derek?" Meredith called as she walked into the kitchen that evening. She threw her keys on the table beside the door, taking in the wonderful aroma coming from the oven. It smelled heavenly. She noticed how the table in the kitchen was covered with the good tablecloth and china, and a candle sat in the middle of it, flickering softly. It was obvious that Derek was trying to make the evening perfect, and Meredith's heart sank with the thought that she may just ruin it.

"Hey," Derek said, walking into the kitchen. He walked over to her and kissed her deeply. A kiss that made Meredith weak in the knees. "You are just in time for dinner." He kissed her again quickly and lead her to her chair at the table, pulling out the chair for her to sit in it.

Meredith sat down and allowed him to push the chair in under her. He kissed the top of her head and walked back to the oven. Meredith grabbed the wine to pour a glass for her and Derek. He looked up at her and smiled, "Did you have a good day?"

He walked over to the table with a steaming pan of lasagna. He placed it directly between them on a hot pad. He leaned into Meredith and kissed her again. "Its great now that I'm home with you," she murmured against his lips.

Derek smiled and sat down next to her. He served her a generous helping of lasagna, knowing that she'd eat it all. "How was Noah? Was he excited for his date?" she asked.

Derek sighed. "He left willingly. We're not exactly on good terms at the moment."

Meredith looked at him questioningly. "What happened?"

"Well, after giving him another short lecture on the purpose of crayons and making him watch me repaint the bedroom wall, he figured out how to flush the toilet." He stopped to chew his food.

Meredith's eyes got wide. "I have a feeling there's more to this story."

Derek nodded, "We're out of toilet paper," he informed her.

Meredith's mouth dropped open. "There were twelve rolls in the cabinet! What is going on with him?"

"He's a fifteen month old, he's curious, and I think he may be slightly bored."

"Bored?" Meredith questioned.

Derek nodded. "Yeah, bored. Nothing around to keep him busy, no playmates," Derek added emphasis on the last word. "I mean, he has all his friends at daycare and then he comes home to no one." He waited for Meredith's reaction.

Meredith felt the nervous feeling start in her stomach. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly, focusing on her food.

Derek looked at her. "I think," he started slowly, "that maybe he needs someone else around to keep him busy. You know, a playmate at home."

"Like a dog?" Meredith offered, playing with her napkin.

Derek put his fork down, "No, like a little brother or sister." he stated. He immediately regretted his bluntness after he saw the look on Meredith's face.

"Another baby?" Meredith repeated. "Oh."

"Well, yeah, another baby. What do you think about having another baby?" he asked her softly, his blue eyes pleading with her.

Meredith was quiet for a moment, trying to chose the right words. "Um, well, I actually have been thinking about it lately, you know, the idea of another baby," Meredith stopped to glance at Derek who was nodding at her statement hopefully. "Well, you know, I've been putting in long hours at work, and I'll be applying for my fellowship in a few more years.." Derek sighed, wiping his mouth with his napkin and throwing it on the table. Meredith stopped talking to look at him, "What?" she asked.

"Meredith," he tapped his finger against the side of his plate, "you work the same amount of hours now as you did when we got pregnant with Noah. And your fellowship? You have two more years before you even apply and if we had another baby now, he or she would be over a year old when that time comes. Don't give me that. Don't make excuses."

"I'm not making excuses," Meredith protested.

"Yes, you are. Be honest with me. Just tell me if you don't want to have another baby." Meredith could feel Derek's eyes boring into her and she could feel the tears forming in hers. "I don't want another baby," she said softly. "I'm sorry, no," she whispered.

Derek huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, that's it? You don't want to have another baby, so the conversation is over? What about me? What about what I want?"

Meredith wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, "Derek, who carries the baby for nine months? Who goes through labor? Who deals with morning sickness and mood swings? Not you, I do. I do, Derek," she repeated. "I'm the one who has to carry the baby and go to doctor's appointments and…" she paused. "I..I thought you would understand."

"I do understand," Derek said, his voice getting louder. "I rubbed your back and feet for nine months asking you constantly if there was anything I could get you. I went to every doctor's appointment with you. Hell, I would have been there for you when you were in labor, but you wouldn't tell anyone that you were in labor. I fetched you ginger ale and soda crackers when you were sick, and I sure as hell dealt with your mood swings. I do understand, Meredith."

"Yes, you were there and you were amazing through it all. It's just too soon. I'm not ready."

Derek looked at her impatiently. "Okay, so when will you be ready? Please tell me when you'll be ready so I stop thinking about it until then."

"I..I don't know," she said softly.

"You don't know? Let me get this straight. You know that you're not ready to have a baby, but you don't know when you will be ready. Makes perfect sense to me," he said sarcastically.

"Derek, why are you getting angry with me?" Meredith asked.

"Because you are making decisions for your benefit and you're not thinking about how it effects the two other people in your life. I don't want Noah to grow up alone, it's not fair to him. He deserves to have at least one sibling."

"I'm not saying that I don't want Noah to have a sibling, because I do. I was an only child and it sucked. I'm just not ready to have another baby, please understand that," she pleaded.

Derek pushed his chair back and stood up. "Yeah, I get it, loud and clear. I'll clean this up later. Your tart is in the fridge." He walked out of the kitchen leaving Meredith in tears.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

"Where's Elmo?" Meredith asked Noah as he sat in her lap on the floor in his room looking at his Sesame Street book.

Noah placed his chubby finger on Elmo's nose. "Melmo," he said.

"Good job, Noah!" Meredith exclaimed. "Where's Big Bird?"

Noah flipped through the pages until he found Big Bird. "BuBurd," he said, pointing.

"You are the smartest baby ever!" Meredith told him, kissing the top of his head. Noah grabbed the book from her and threw it, "me done," he said.

Meredith laughed as he got out of her lap and went to get his baby that Grandma Shepherd had gotten for him. "Mama," he looked up at her. "Baby."

"Yep, that's your baby. Is your baby a boy or a girl?" she asked him.

Noah nodded to her question, making Meredith smile. Her conversations with Noah reminded her of some she had with Derek. It was obvious when Derek wasn't listening to her when she would ask him an open ended question and his reply would be 'yes' or 'no'. Conversations with Derek had been limited the past few days. Ever since their disagreement about having another baby. Short exchanges of 'good morning' and 'good night' and communicating in regards to Noah's needs was the extent of their interaction. She watched Noah pat the baby's back and carry it by the hair to her. "Oh, Noah, be gentle with the baby. You'll make the baby cry. Here, hold the baby like this," she showed him how to hold the baby in his arms.

Noah held the baby the way she showed him for a few seconds and then he spied his Lego's. He dropped the baby on the carpet and ran to them. Meredith looked down at the baby in mock sympathy.

"Mama play," Noah said, grunting as he pulled the oversized bucket towards her. " Mama me play?" he asked, with a pleading look. Meredith thought of the hours of work she needed to do that was waiting for her in the office, but sighed when she looked into his deep blue eyes. The same eyes as his father's that had looked at her the same way a few nights ago. Eyes that were pleading with her to have another baby so that Noah could have a playmate.

"Okay, Mommy will play blocks with you," she picked up two blocks and put them together. _Maybe he needs someone else around to keep him busy, _Derek's words from the other night entered her brain. _Like a little brother or sister._

Meredith observed Noah intently, watching him sit silently as he stacked his blocks. _He really does look lonely, _she thought as sadness for him ripped through her heart. If he would have a sibling, they could play all day and Noah wouldn't have to sit silently playing with his blocks. He would have a little brother or sister to play with and fight with and get into trouble with.

Meredith could remember her childhood and how lonely she was. She didn't have other children to play with and she promised herself as a teenager that if she ever had kids, she would make sure that wouldn't happen to them. Even when she and Derek were dead and gone, Noah needed a sibling to be there for him. Derek was right, she was making a selfish decision and wasn't thinking about the two other people in her life. The two other people whose lives would be effect by this in the same way as her life would be. She convinced herself that she and Derek would talk this through once Noah was down for his nap.

********************************************************************************************************************************

Derek sat at his desk downstairs in his office. He had went in there to think, but knew he needed the advice of a woman near and dear to his heart. He picked up his cell and dialed. "Hi, Mom," Derek said into the phone when he heard his mother pick up.

"Derek! Good to hear from you. How's that grandson of mine? Growing like a weed?" she teased.

"A bad weed, Grandma," he proceeded to tell her about her grandson's recent art display, as well as the toilet paper flushing incident.

Carolyn chuckled. "Sounds to me like that curse I put on you over thirty years ago is finally paying off."

"Curse? What curse?" Derek asked her confused.

"The 'I hope you have kids that act just like you when you grow up' curse. Noah sounds like a chip off the old block if you ask me," she joked. "You kept me on my toes, that's for sure!"

"Uh huh," Derek replied, chuckling.

"How is Meredith? Busy with residency, I assume," Carolyn asked.

Derek was silent for a moment before speaking. "Meredith is…fine."

"Well, that sounded convincing. What's wrong with your wife?" She asked.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with her. It's…it's complicated," he stammered.

"Let me guess," Carolyn paused. "You're ready for another baby and she's not."

Derek looked into his phone with a shocked expression, "What? How did you know?" he demanded.

"Because I know you, Derek. You are your father's son. How do you think I had five children? With a lot of convincing from your father."

"Oh," Derek sighed into the phone. "Having five kids was Dad's idea?"

"Not entirely his idea, but more his than mine. He had the hardest time convincing me to have another baby after Kathleen. That's why Kathleen and Nancy are almost three years apart. Two kids are a completely different ball game than one."

"Yeah, I bet, but not like I'll ever know," he said sarcastically.

"I take it your conversation didn't go very well, then?" Carolyn asked.

"No, not well at all. She brought up her hours at work and applying for her fellowship as reasons why she doesn't want another baby right now."

"Sounds like two perfectly good reasons to me," Carolyn stated.

"What? Mom, she has the same hours that she had when we had Noah. And her fellowship is almost three years away. How are those perfectly good reasons?" He demanded.

"She's a mother, Derek. She has a different perspective now than she did when you two were planning to have Noah. She'll have two kids to worry about, along with a very demanding career, one that isn't exactly family friendly."

"Yeah, I am aware of that and I am there for her, she knows that. We're in this together and it will effect me the same way having a baby with effect her."

"No, it won't," Carolyn stated. "It won't because you're not the one that will have to have hours cut and do short procedures and have to take medical leave."

Derek sighed, knowing his mother was right. Meredith did sacrifice a lot during the latter part of her pregnancy and when Noah first arrived.

"And, she's probably scared to death to have another baby because she already feels guilty that she doesn't spend enough time with Noah. Having another baby will be double the guilt for her."

"You're right, Mom. I didn't think about it that way. I was a jerk and ran away from the issue. Thanks for hearing me out."

"Anything for you, Sweetheart. I love you. Give Noah and Meredith a kiss from me."

"I will. I love you, too." Derek clicked his phone shut and rubbed his eyes, taking a moment to process his mother's words.

"How's your mom?" Meredith asked softly from the doorway. Derek turned to look at her.

"Hey, she's good. How long were you standing there?" he asked.

Meredith walked towards his desk, but stood cautiously a few feet away from him. "Long enough to hear you say you were a jerk and ran away from the issue," she said quietly.

"You broke one of our marriage vows, Derek," she whispered, looking at her feet. "We promised each other we wouldn't run, ever. You walked out on me." She felt tears stinging her eyes.

Derek looked at her sadly, feeling tears in his own eyes. He reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his lap. "I know, and I'm sorry. I was mad, which is no excuse, but I was upset and I didn't hear what you were saying. I just heard you say you weren't ready to have another baby and I didn't listen to your reason." He wrapped his arms tightly around her as she put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mer, more than you can imagine."

"I know," she said. "I forgive you." They held each other for a moment. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"What are you scared about?" he asked, running his hand up and down her back.

She sat up to look at him. "I am scared to have another baby. I am constantly afraid that I'm going to screw up my kids by not spending enough time with them. I already feel guilty about the time I don't spend with Noah. What will it be like with two?"

Derek smiled sadly at her. "I'm scared, too, Mer. I don't know what it will be like to have two kids, but I'm pretty sure that it will be a great experience. I mean we'll constantly have to juggle our work and family, but I think we can do it between the two of us." He kissed her forehead. "We have a wonderful son that we both adore and couldn't imagine our lives without him. I think…no, I **know **we'd feel the same way about another baby." He played with a strand of her hair. "I know it's a big step for you and I'll give you all the time you need."

Meredith looked at him intently. Her husband was amazing. She ran her hand down his t-shirt. "Actually, watching Noah play with his blocks alone today made me realize that he is lonely."

Derek stared in her eyes with a hopeful expression. "What are you saying?" he asked.

Meredith smiled. "I'm saying that the more I thought about it the more I realized that I was making a selfish decision and I'm sorry for that." She leaned in to kiss him. "I have a proposition for you."

"Does it involve us being naked?" Derek joked.

"No, dirty man, it involves us, but not naked, at least not now." Derek sighed in disappointment, but waited for her to continue. "Why don't we stop using birth control and not try-try but not not-try and see what happens?" she asked.

Derek looked at her confused, "I'm not sure what you just said, but you did say that we could potentially be naked?"

Meredith laughed and swatted him on the shoulder. "Derek! I said lets not actively try like we did with Noah, let's just not use birth control and see what happens."

Derek thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." He pulled her in to kiss her passionately. "You know what goes great with kids?" He said after they pulled away, breathless.

"Hmmm?" Meredith mumbled, nuzzling her nose into his neck.

"A dog," Derek announced.

"Derek Shepherd, don't press your luck with me."

**Okay, so McDreamy had a not so dreamy moment. But I did wrap it up quickly, right? **

**Getting reviews is like Christmas to me, seriously!!**


	6. Derek's Son

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

"So, we decided that we're not going to actually try to have a baby, we're going to just let nature take it's course," Meredith told Cristina and Izzie at lunch. Izzie clapped her hands excitedly at the news.

"Oh, Mer! That is fabulous! Oooh, Noah is going to be a big brother! He is so stinking cute and I can only imagine what another Shepherd baby will look like." Izzie gasped, "Mer, what if you have a girl? A girl! We can dress her up and put bows in her hair…"

"Okay, you need to stop," Cristina warned her. "No daughter of Meredith's will wear bows in her hair. She will be tough, hard core. Not some girly girl scout selling cookies door to door. She will take no crap from anyone."

Izzie rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Cristina. Mer, we can take her shopping and get her nails painted and her hair done. Ooh, and maybe sign her up for baby modeling!"

Cristina groaned. "I can just see it now. Mini Mer sporting the toddler selection of Bethany Whisper."

Izzie ignored her comment. "This is the best thing you can do for Noah, Mer. He needs a sibling, someone to play with. I am so happy for you and Derek!"

"I didn't say that I was pregnant, I said that we're not going to prevent getting pregnant. It could take months for it to happen." Meredith informed them.

Izzie shook her head, "It won't take you long at all. You got preggers with Noah right away, didn't you?"

Meredith shrugged, "Like two months or whatever. But we were actually trying…everyday."

"We know," Izzie and Cristina said in unison, looking at Meredith with wide eyes. "You guys were not subtle about…umm…keeping the noise down." Izzie said.

Meredith's mouth dropped open. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Cristina looked at Izzie for a moment. "We used to place bets on who would be louder," Cristina confessed. "Iz and I put our money on you. How do you think we paid for your baby shower?"

"_That was unbelievable," Meredith panted, rolling off of Derek to snuggle into him. "This baby making project is definitely one of my favorite hobbies," she joked, nuzzling his neck and kissing it. _

_Derek's breath slowly went back to normal. He pulled her as close as he could to him. "We definitely should win a medal or an award," he said. "Highest achievers or something along those lines." He grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. _

_Meredith giggled. "Well, Der, we will be rewarded. Our baby," she murmured. _

"_Our baby," he repeated softly. They laid quietly for a few moments. "Do you wonder what our kids will be like?" Derek asked her._

_Meredith sighed. "Our daughter will probably be cursed with split ends and ramble on endlessly. She'll probably snore, too." _

_Derek chuckled, "I love when you ramble," he whispered. " and you're cute when you snore. What can I say? If we do have a daughter, I hope she looks just like her mother. Beautiful."_

_Meredith smiled at his statement. "If we have a son, what will he look like?" she asked. _

_Derek thought for a moment. "Well, I hope he has my hair," Meredith groaned._

"_Mer, admit it, I have awesome hair."_

"_You have awesome hair," Meredith agreed. "But from what I hear, it wasn't always awesome."_

_Derek nodded, "I definitely had an afro in high school. If our son comes out with my hair, I'll teach him early how to tame it. "_

_Meredith laughed, "Nobody taught you?" she asked him._

_Derek became silent. Meredith shifted to look at him, noticing the sad expression on his face. "My dad died when I was eleven. I inherited his hair and he died before he had a chance to show me how to manage it. "_

_Meredith caressed his cheek with her hand. "You miss him," she stated._

"_Everyday," he replied, "But I have been missing him more now, you know, since we've been trying to start a family. I wish he could be here to see my kids, so my kids could know him. It's just unfair."_

"_Yes, it's unfair," Meredith agreed. "But, with what you missed out on with your father, you can do with your kids. Things with them that you never got to do with your dad. He'd want you to do that."_

_Derek nodded, smoothing her hair with his palm. _

"_I mean look at me. It's not the same situation with your dad, but it kind of is. Look at who I had for a mother. I want to do things with my kids that my mother never did with me. You know?" _

_Derek sighed. "Yes. You will be an amazing mom, Mer."_

_Meredith reached up to pull his face to his, looking him into the eyes, "and you will be an amazing dad." She leaned up to kiss him. _

"_I think our kids will be pretty lucky to have us," Derek stated, as Meredith settled back down beside him. _

_She giggled, "yeah, we definitely kick ass." Suddenly, Meredith's phone rang. Derek grabbed it and handed it to her._

"_Cristina?" she asked into the phone when she answered it. _

"_Mer, I really hate to break up your meeting of Project Baby Shepherd, but there are like three of us that need that room to sleep in. The on call room on three is full."_

"_We weren't doing anything, we were sleeping" Meredith lied. She looked at Derek as her face turned red. Derek smirked as he listened to the conversation. _

"_Right, Mer, and I was born yesterday. The entire floor heard you two."_

"_What?" Meredith groaned, covering her eyes with her hand. "We'll be out in a minute."_

"_What's the problem?" Derek asked as she closed her phone. _

"_The entire freaking floor heard us having sex, Derek!" She ranted as she got out of the bed and started putting her clothes on. "That's the problem!"_

_Derek gave her a blank stare, "Having sex with me is a problem?"_

_Meredith sighed, "No, Derek, everyone hearing us have sex is the problem. Aren't you the slightest bit embarrassed?"_

_Derek shook his head, "No, what do I have to be embarrassed about? You were the one who was loud. I was making you loud. That makes me look like a sex god." He smirked at her. _

"_You and that freaking ego of yours!" She exclaimed, picking up his scrub pants and throwing them at him._

"Do you want Cheerios?" Meredith asked Noah as he sat in his high chair waiting for his breakfast. Noah looked at the box for a moment and shook his head no. She sighed and put it back in the cupboard. "Okay, how about Captain Crunch?" she said showing him the box, shaking it slightly for it to make noise. Noah covered his eyes with his hands and shook his head no again.

Derek walked into the kitchen, yawning. He walked to Noah's high chair and kissed the top of his head. "Morning, Buddy, what's for breakfast?"

He walked over to Meredith and kissed her. "Morning," he said softly as he went to the cupboard and grabbed his box of Muesli. He opened the dishwasher and grabbed a bowl and spoon, grabbed the milk off the counter and made is way to the chair beside Noah. Noah glanced at the box of cereal Derek was holding and began to squeal. "Me! Me!" he yelled loudly.

Meredith looked at him curiously. "What, Noah? What's wrong?" Noah looked at her for a moment, then pointed at the box of Muesli. "Da-yee! Me!" he yelled again, banging his hands on the tray of his high chair. "You want Daddy's cereal?" she asked him. Noah nodded.

Meredith watched Derek make an airplane sound as he moved a tiny spoonful of cereal in Noah's direction. Noah opened his mouth widely as Derek spooned the cereal into his mouth and watched as Noah chewed intently on it and swallowed. Noah banged his hands on his tray again and opened his mouth wide.

Meredith looked at Derek. "What have you done to him? What one year old passes up Captain Crunch for Muesli?"

"My child," Derek replied, feeding Noah another spoonful of cereal. "He wants to be just like his Daddy, and can you blame him?" Derek smirked at her.

Meredith rolled her eyes, "I hope he doesn't inherit your ego. Yours is big enough." Meredith grabbed Noah's plastic Elmo bowl and spoon and walked to the table to grab the box of Muesli. She poured a tiny amount into the bowl and added milk and placed the bowl on Noah's tray. He clapped excitedly, looking up at her and smiling. "Me?" he asked her.

"You," she replied, nodding. Noah picked up his spoon and began to eat. Meredith grabbed her coffee from the counter and sat down on the other side of Noah. "Lexie mentioned something about us going to a movie with her and Mark this weekend," she informed Derek.

Derek looked up at her. "Movie? I hope you're not thinking the movie theatre downtown."

Meredith nodded, "Well, yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

Derek put his spoon down slowly and looked at her, "Because the last time we went there, I told myself that I would never show my face there again," he told her. "You embarrassed the hell out of me."

Meredith's mouth dropped open, "I did not," she argued.

'You did," Derek nodded.

"_This line is too freaking long," Meredith moaned as she stood next to Derek in the line to buy tickets for the movie. She put her head on Derek's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. _

"_You okay?" he murmured in her ear, moving his hand to rub her back. _

"_I would be okay if this line would move," she said loudly, causing people to turn around to look at her. "What?" she demanded, glaring at them. The people turned quickly back around. _

"_Mer, we're almost to the ticket booth. Do you want to go sit in the car until we get the tickets?" Lexie asked her._

"_No," Meredith sighed, "It's fine, really. I think I'm crabby because I'm hungry. Once I get food, I'll be okay." Derek pulled her forward as the line inched up closer to the booth. She turned to Lexie, "And, at my doctor's appointment today, I gained five more pounds. Five pounds in one month! It has not been a good day," she sighed. Derek rubbed her back in sympathy. _

"_Mer, your pregnant, you're supposed to gain weight. Your doctor would be concerned if you didn't." Lexie protested. _

_Meredith turned to glare at her, "Thank you, Doogie Howser, for your input. Putting that medical degree to use I see." Lexie looked away, trying not to laugh._

_Derek and Mark glanced at each other with amused expressions. Meredith's hormones were out of control lately and everyone seemed to rub her the wrong way. _

"_Oh, look! We're next!" Meredith exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I have been waiting forever to see this movie. I absolutely adore Patrick Dempsey! Not him in his old movies when he had that hair style, but the newer ones."_

_Lexie nodded, "I really like movie he played in with that Kimberly Paisley girl. You know, the one where he owns the bagel shop…what was it called?"_

"_Lucky 7," Meredith replied. "Did you know that movie was filmed right here in Seattle?" Lexie shook her head._

_Derek and Mark looked at each other and rolled their eyes, "Patrick Dempsey is a moron. Ever since that movie, 'Can't Buy Me Love', and he did that stupid dance where he flapped his arms around," Derek commented, causing Lexie and Meredith to glare at him. "The guy can't dance and he'll never have hair like mine." Derek smirked at Meredith, running his fingers through his hair. _

"_Whatever, Derek," Meredith snapped. "Get our tickets." Derek stepped up to the window and requested two tickets. _

"_That will be twenty dollars," the teenager behind the ticket counter replied._

"_Twenty dollars!" Meredith exclaimed. "Holy crap! Are the seats lined with gold or something?"_

"_Meredith…" Derek started._

"_Do we get a foot massage while we watch the movie? Oh, or do they serve the popcorn to us?"_

"_Meredith!" Derek hissed, his face turning red._

"_I'm sorry, honey, but this is highway robbery! Who in their right mind would pay that much for tickets?"_

"_All the people that came in before you and all of the people behind you that you are holding up the line for, ma'am. Twenty dollars, please, "the guy repeated._

"_Mark, get our tickets. Meredith and I will go inside to get snacks," Lexie said quickly, taking Meredith's arm and pulling her into the building. _

_Mark looked at Derek with a humored expression. Derek rolled his eyes, giving the guy twenty dollars. "Please excuse her, she's pregnant," he told the guy Derek waited for Mark to get his tickets and they walked into the movie theatre. Derek's eyes grew wide as he heard his wife's loud voice again._

"_What do you mean all of your popcorn has butter on it?" she yelled. Derek walked quickly over to where the girls were standing, giving Lexie a questioning look. Lexie shrugged her shoulders, her face bright red._

"_Meredith," Derek said. "What's wrong?"_

_She turned to him in exasperation. "I wanted popcorn without butter, Derek. You know the taste of butter makes me sick since I've been pregnant. I asked for popcorn without butter and this idiot looks at me as if I have two heads. Like there's no such thing!" Derek groaned inwardly, trying to quickly think of how to calm his wife down. He was sure his face was as red as Lexie's at that moment._

"_Mer, it's fine, you and Lexie get us seats and I'll take care of it. I'll get you those Sno Caps you've been craving." Derek nodded to Lexie, who once again grabbed Meredith by the arm to lead her into the theatre. Derek turned to the cashier. "Three boxes of Sno Caps, please," he stated. _

_The cashier bit his lip and looked at him in fear. "I…I'm sorry, s-sir, but we just ran o-out of S-Sno Caps," he stuttered. Derek groaned loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He turned to Mark who was failing miserably to keep a straight face. Derek reached in his pocket for his wallet and gave Mark several bills. "Go across the street to the drug store and get as many boxes of Sno Caps as you can." Derek ordered._

_Mark took the money and looked at him, "What if they don't have Sno Caps?" he asked._

_Derek gave him a look, "I'm going in here to tell my wife that you went across the street for Sno Caps. If I were you, I wouldn't come back without them."_

Meredith dialed her husband's number and waited for him to answer. "Derek, do you remember what I did with my keys?" Meredith asked him, grabbing her purse and dumping it's contents out on the table. She rummaged through the items, but no keys were there.

"No, you're still at home?" he asked her. "Mer, you're not going to make it to work on time," he warned her.

"I know that! I can't find my keys, they're gone!" Meredith sighed, "I am so late! Bailey is going to kill me!"

"Did you leave them in the ignition?" he asked. Meredith walked out to the garage to peer in the window of her car, "Nope, not there."

"Hmm, then I don't know. Ask Noah if he knows where they are, he took my wallet last week. He put it in the trunk of his Power Wheels car. Maybe he took them. Honey, I have to go, I have surgery. I'll tell Bailey you'll be late." Derek hung up.

Meredith walked into the living room where Noah was sitting on the floor, quietly looking at his book. "Noah," she asked in her calmest voice. "Have you seen Mommy's keys?"

Noah looked up at her from his book, "No," he said.

Meredith sighed. "Will you help Mommy look for them?" she asked.

Noah threw his book aside, "O-tay," he said, grunting as he got up.

Meredith squatted down to his eye level, "Noah, where are Mommy's keys?" she asked him.

Noah stood looking at her quietly, almost debating with himself to answer the question.

"Where are Mommy's keys?" she said again, a little slower this time.

"Key bye bye," Noah said in his little voice. His blue eyes were wide as he looked at Meredith. Meredith gulped, half dreading what he meant.

"Show Mommy where her keys are," she said softly.

Noah walked towards the kitchen and went over to the trash can. "Key bye bye," he said again. Meredith groaned.

Noah opened the lid of the trash can and peered inside it, "Key bye bye," he repeated.

Meredith sighed, "You put Mommy's keys in here?" she asked him.

Noah nodded. "Me sorry," he said, and he went back into the living room. Meredith looked at the trash can with disgust. She grabbed the can and cautiously moved things around as she searched for her keys. She picked up the can and shook it, but could not here the sound of keys jingling inside. She then remembered that Derek had taken the full bag out to the garage that morning because Meredith had been complaining of the smell. Meredith stared at the ceiling for a moment, counting to ten to stay calm. She threw open the door from the kitchen to the garage and walked to the trash can along the wall. She grabbed the bag on the top and proceeded to open it.

She groaned as she opened the bag, the strong odor entering her nostrils. Chicken fat did not sit well in a warm garage in an enclosed bag. The bag literally reeked.

Meredith gagged as profanities rolled from her mouth. She was up to her arms in trash as she quickly rummaged through the garbage bag contents. She was just about to give up when she noticed a piece of shiny medal at the way bottom of the bag. Meredith lunged for it, pulling out her silver "M" keychain and her slightly covered in food keys.

She cautiously placed the keys on the ground as she closed up the garbage bag and put it back where it was. She picked the keys up with her pointer finger and thumb and walked into the kitchen.

Noah was standing in the archway between the kitchen and living room, and his eyes lit up when he saw his mommy had found the keys. "Mama! Yay!" he exclaimed, doing a little dance in a circle.

"Yes, Noah, Mommy found her keys. Now you can go and play with your friends at daycare," she informed him, her stomach still churning as she remembered the smell of the trash.

Noah jumped up and down and clapped excitedly. Meredith sighed as she looked at the clock. She would be over thirty minutes late. She walked over to Noah and knelt down in front of him, "Mister Noah, thanks to you're key hiding ability, I'm late for work. As a matter of fact, every time I've been late for work you were involved some way or another." She tickled his stomach and he giggled.

"_Meredith, now we're really late," Derek told his wife when she walked into the kitchen. He motioned to the clock hanging on the wall._

_Meredith sighed, "We are not late, Derek."_

"_Uh, yeah we are. We should have left fifteen minutes ago to get on the ferry, what was the hold up?" he asked her._

"_Your child," she replied, "she's apparently not a morning person." _

_Derek studied his wife's face, which was slightly pale after her bout of morning sickness. His face turned from frustration to sympathy and he walked over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly. He reached up to brush the hair out of her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"_

"_I was permanently attached to the toilet. I couldn't move for fear of having a mess to clean up. I'm okay." She gave him a weak smile._

_Derek pulled her to him to hug her. "Is there anything you need?"_

"_Ugh," was her reply, "I am starving, but I know if I eat anything with substance, I will just throw it back up. Do we have any more Saltines?" She asked._

_Derek smiled, "Yep, I picked up three more boxes yesterday just for you." He rubbed her cheek softly with his thumb. "I also picked up some ginger ale."_

"_Thank you," she kissed him softly. "Baby thanks you, too." _

_Derek kissed her forehead. "You are quite welcome. Um, and what's with the 'she'? This baby is going to be a boy." He teased. _

_Meredith shook her head. "I know it's a girl. Izzie told me."_

_Derek raised his eyebrows at her. "How would Izzie know that our baby is a girl?" he asked._

_Meredith pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured it with a clip. "She hung my wedding ring over my stomach with a string. Apparently, my ring made circles instead of going back and forth. Circles mean that it's a girl. It's like an omen, or whatever."_

"_Oh, I see. Huh, well, if it is a girl, I will tell you now that she's not dating until she's thirty."_

_Meredith laughed. "Oh, that should go over well with her."_

_Derek nodded. "There will be no members of the opposite sex around her. And if I catch them near her, I will remind them that I use scalpels for a living," he joked with a mock serious expression._

_Meredith laughed. Then she glanced at the clock and sighed. "It's late, we're late. Stupid morning sickness." She walked to the pantry and shoved an entire box of crackers into her tote bag. She then walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of ginger ale, putting it in her bag as well._

_Derek chuckled, watching her. "Mer, you really need the entire box for today?"_

_Meredith glanced at him quickly as she put on her shoes. "Those are just for the ride in. I have two more boxes in my cubby at work."_

************************************************************************

Meredith sat in her car for a moment after she pulled into her spot in the garage. Her day had been grueling and she put in an extra hour because of her tardiness that morning. Derek had taken Noah home with him when his shift ended, telling Meredith to take her time coming home and he would take care of Noah for the night.

Meredith and Cristina had gone to Joe's for a few drinks, catching up with each other's lives. Alex, Izzie and George had come in a little later and they all sat and talked about the old times as interns. It was refreshing for Meredith and by the time she was ready to go home, her mood had lifted.

She got out of the car and walked through the door into the kitchen. She saw Derek leaning up against the sink with his arms crossed, gazing lovingly at her as she took her shoes off and put her keys on the table.

"Hey," he said softly, his eyes moving over her from head to toe.

"Hey," she replied, walking towards him. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Right now, I'm looking at my beautiful wife. An hour ago, I was chasing around the Tasmanian devil." He opened up his arms and wrapped them around her as she pressed herself against him. He leaned down to kiss her, his lips lingering on hers for a moment. "Did you just call my innocent, beautiful son a tornado? The same child that threw my keys away and then watched me dig through bags of trash to find them?"

"That would be the one," he nodded. He pulled her into a hug and held her for a minute. "How are you? Did you and Cristina have a good time at Joe's?" he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"Hmm, yes, a great time. Eventually, Alex, Izzie and George met up with us there. I really missed my friends. Thanks for getting Noah so I could do that." She sighed in his chest.

"I'm here for you, babe. I figured after the morning you had, you needed some Meredith time."

"You were right," Meredith smiled. "What did you boys do tonight?" she asked him, moving her hands under his shirt to rub his back. Derek let out a slight groan.

"Oh, you know, the things that men usually do when women aren't around. We ate in front of the TV, had a burping contest, and lounged on the couch watching the sports channel."

Meredith laughed at the thought of her son and husband doing those things. "Seriously, Derek," she laughed.

"But before our night at home, we had some things to do in town. We were on a mission."

Meredith laughed, "What were you on a mission for?"

"Well," Derek started. "Noah really felt bad about you digging through the trash today, so he wanted to get you something to prove to you how sorry he is," he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Really?" She smiled from ear to ear. "What did he get me?"

Derek smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her to wall adjacent to the door. Meredith smiled when she saw her gift. Her precious son had gotten her a key holder in the shape of a heart that had "Mommy's Keys" painted on the face of it. Two hooks were at the bottom of the holder for her to hang here keys there. She turned to Derek and smiled, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

"After he went to bed, I put it high enough on the wall so he can't reach. You can put your keys here so you know exactly where they are…so you're not digging through the trash again for them," Derek explained softly, wiping her tears away as they rolled down her cheeks.

Meredith turned to hug him. "You are the best father ever," she told him, hugging him tightly. "Noah is lucky to have you as his Daddy. I'm lucky to have you for my husband."

Derek chuckled, "Glad to know I'm liked in this place. Try out your gift."

Meredith walked over to the table, picked up her keys and placed them on the hook. Derek smiled at her and reached in his pocket for his keys, hanging them right beside hers.

"I don't need to be digging in the trash, either," he joked. Meredith laughed. "Come on, let's go upstairs and I'll start your bath for you." Derek grabbed her hand.

Meredith kissed his cheek, "That sounds heavenly, what's in it for you?" she asked.

Derek gave her a hopeful expression, "I'm hoping to get lucky tonight, too," he replied.

********************************************************************************

"Mommy has to get a few things in here and then we can go home and take a nap," Meredith told Noah as they walked into the grocery store. She put Noah in the seat of the cart and strapped him in. Noah looked around and spotted the cart with the car attached and started to squeal. Meredith looked to where he was looking. "Me ride!" he yelled, pointing to it. "Mama! Me ride!"

Meredith sighed and unhooked him. She lifted him out of the cart gently and stood him beside the car. "Noah, you can ride in this, but you must stay seated while mommy pushes the cart. If you get out and I don't see you, I could run you over and hurt you, you stay in, got it?" she asked him.

Noah nodded, "O-tay, me ride." Meredith nodded and lifted up the gate, allowing Noah to get in. She reached in and clicked the seatbelt in place. She smiled as she heard him making car sounds from inside the car as she pushed the cart around getting the items off her list. "Mama! Fish!" he exclaimed, pointing at the lobster tank as they passed the seafood section.

Meredith laughed, "They're not fish, they're lobsters, Noah. Can you say lobster?"

"No," Noah replied.

Meredith smiled as she turned into the cereal aisle and put two boxes of Muesli in the cart per Derek's request. Now that Noah ate it in the morning, too, she had to buy it more often. Meredith felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and looked at screen.

"Hi, honey," she answered. "Done with surgery?"

"Yep, patient came through with flying colors. What are you doing?" he asked.

"We're at the store. We were out of a few things at home so Noah and I decided to get out of the house," she replied, picking up a box of cereal off the shelf to look at the nutritional value.

"How is he for you today? Did he take his nap?" he asked.

"No, not yet. You should hear him, Der. He wanted in the car cart and he's making these little car noises while I push the cart around. It's so cute." Meredith peered into the car to look at Noah and gasped when she saw he wasn't there. The gate had been raised and the seatbelt lay unhooked across the seat.

Meredith's body exploded with panic and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. "Oh my GOD! Somebody stole my baby, he's gone!" She yelled, looking frantically up and down the aisle.

"What?" Derek demanded. "Meredith? What do you mean someone stole Noah? What are you talking about?" His voice became slightly more panicked the more he spoke.

"Someone took him! He was in the car and now he's not! I had him strapped in and now the strap is not hooked and he's gone!" Meredith abandoned the cart and walked up and down the aisles. "Noah!" she yelled.

"Meredith!" Derek yelled. "Meredith, he knows how to unhook those safety belts. You didn't notice him leave the cart? Meredith!" He yelled again when she didn't answer.

"No, I didn't see him leave, I was talking to you. Where could he have gone, oh my God, my baby is gone!" she wailed.

"Mer, check at the lobster tank. He likes to look at the lobsters when I take him there," Derek told her firmly.

"Right, the lobster tank," Meredith ran in the direction of the seafood section. She sighed in relief when she saw Noah watching the lobsters, eating a handful of grapes that he had swiped from the produce section.

"I found him!" she told Derek as she made her way over to him.

"Let him have it," he told her. "Call me back." She snapped her phone shut.

"Noah Christopher Shepherd!" Meredith shouted, startling him. He turned to look at her with wide eyes. "You are in ten kinds of trouble, mister," she warned.

Noah smiled and pointed to the lobster tank. "Mama! Look! Fish!"

"Noah," Meredith shakily knelt in front of him, grabbing his shoulders and making him face her. "You scared Mommy to death! Why did you get out of the car? Someone could have kidnapped you and I would never ever see you again. I would cry every day for the rest of my life if that happened to you."

Noah offered her a grape. "Drape?" he asked her.

Meredith grabbed the grapes from him, "so, along with you being a flight risk, you're also a kleptomaniac? You are sooo in time out when we get home." She grabbed his arm and pulled him from the lobster tank and back to the cart. She put him directly in front of her in the seat, snapped him in, and picked up her phone to call Derek back.

"You ok?" he asked.

"I need tequila. Pick up some on your way home,' she informed him.

**Everyone please have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!! Be safe!**

**Please leave me comments, they make me happy!**


	7. Innocent Lies

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**Chapter Seven, Part One:**

Meredith winced as bright rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds and into her face. She closed her eyes tighter to block the brightness, but it didn't help. She rolled over so the rays hit the back of her head and scooted closer to the middle of the bed to snuggle with Derek. Derek's side of the bed was empty. Meredith opened her eyes to peer around the room. He was home, she noticed, because his pager and watch was still on the stand beside the bed. Meredith got up and made her way to the bathroom, but stopped when she heard Derek talking in a low voice behind the bathroom door.

"I don't know how she'll react." he said to the person on the other end. "I have to get it all sorted out before I tell her."

Meredith listened to what Derek was saying. _Get what all sorted out? _She thought to herself. _How will I react to what?_

"Okay…okay…I'll talk to you soon. No, she's home today. I don't want her knowing about this... "

Meredith felt her heart sink. What could her husband possibly be hiding from her? What can't she find out? They didn't keep secrets from one another. Meredith quickly left the room before Derek hung up. She walked towards Noah's room and heard him babbling in his crib. She opened his door gently.

"Good morning, sunshine," she called to him. Noah looked at her over the railing of his crib and smiled widely. His hair was tousled in the same way that Derek's was in the morning. She smiled at the sight of him.

"Pick me up," he said, holding his hands out to her. Meredith walked over to his crib and picked him up. She carried him over to his changing table to change his diaper.

Noah looked up at her with his blue eyes. "Melmo?" he asked.

"Yep, you can watch Elmo this morning," Meredith responded as she lifted him up. She blew raspberries on his cheeks as they walked downstairs to the kitchen. She sat him in his high chair and got his breakfast ready. Noah clapped excitedly as Meredith placed his bowl of Muesli in front of him, just as Derek entered the kitchen. He kissed Noah on the top of the head and ruffled his hair. He walked over to Meredith and kissed her on the forehead. "Good morning," he whispered in her ear. He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a spoon from the drawer and sat beside Noah at the table. "Nothing like having breakfast with a guy who knows good cereal," he winked at Meredith, motioning to Noah who was wolfing down his Muesli.

Meredith cleared her throat. "So, who were you talking to this morning?" she asked.

Derek snapped his head up to look at her. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Who were you talking to in the bathroom this morning?" she asked again, an edge in her voice.

"Oh," he paused. "I was answering a page. I was talking to the hospital."

Meredith nodded slowly, knowing that her husband was lying to her. He apparently didn't want her to know who he was talking to on the phone. She felt a lump forming in her throat at the thought.

"So, what are you two up to today?" Derek asked her, walking his bowl to the sink. He turned around to look at her.

"I'm seeing lots of Elmo in my future. What time will you be home tonight?" Meredith asked him.

"Oh, late, I have back to back surgeries all day," Derek replied, grabbing his keys. "Don't wait up." He walked over to her and placed a tender kiss on her lips. He walked over to Noah, kissing his forehead, "Bye, Bud, be good for Mommy today."

"Bye Da-yee!" Noah responded.

Derek looked at her as he made his way to the door, "Love you," he said.

"Love you," she repeated softly, looking at the floor.

"_Derek, I was thinking," Meredith said as she crawled in bed beside him. _

"_Uh oh, this can't be good," he groaned._

"_What do you mean by that?" she demanded._

"_When you are thinking, it usually involves me doing something for you. I'm half afraid to ask you what you're thinking about." He replied._

_Meredith gave him a disgusted look. "Well, if you're going to be that way, then I'm not talking to you," she huffed and turned her back towards him. She reached to shut off her light, her eyes adjusting to the glowing kidney in a jar beside her bed. _

_Derek looked at the back of his wife's head. He was hoping that they could make love tonight considering that Meredith's morning sickness had pretty much resolved and she was no longer attached to the toilet. It had been weeks, twenty three days to be exact, without sex and he'd been particularly grumpy about it. He was off to a great start on getting his way tonight._

_He smirked and tapped her on the shoulder, "Mer, I was thinking," he mocked her._

"_Shut up," was her reply._

"_No, seriously, I was thinking," he tried again._

"_What don't you understand about I'm not talking to you?" she yanked the comforter more to her side. _

"_But you are talking to me, I heard you," he joked._

"_Derek, stop acting like a two year old." she demanded._

"_Me? I'm not acting like a two year old. You're the one who's pouting, falling off your side of the bed, depriving your husband, your horny husband, of his manly needs," Derek said._

_Meredith snorted, but didn't reply to his comment._

"_What were you thinking, Mer?" Derek asked, sliding up next to her and wrapping his arm around her._

"_No touching me. Don't touch me when I'm mad at you," she grumbled. _

"_I'm not touching you, I'm touching my baby," he replied, running his palm in circles_

_over her slight baby bump. "You can't be mad at the person who gave you this," he whispered in her ear, putting a slight amount of pressure on her stomach. _

"_Yes, I can," she replied. "Thanks to you, I've been best friends with the toilet for the past six weeks. Makes me all hot and bothered for you," she said sarcastically, secretly longing for him. She missed the way he smelled, the way he touched her when he made love to her, and his tongue. That freaking tongue inside her mouth and the way he trailed it all over her body. STOP! Don't be thinking about Derek's tongue when you're mad at him, she thought. _

"_Well, I definitely know that feeling," he whispered in her ear, ignoring her sarcasm. He could feel her body tense up as he breathed on her favorite spot directly under her ear lobe. _

"_What? Being best friends with the toilet?" she said breathlessly as his hand moved from her stomach and under her shirt to her breasts._

"_Nope, being all hot and bothered for you, I am all hot and bothered for you. You drive _

_me crazy, absolutely insane. And when you're mad at me…hmm…it makes these feelings I have ten times worse," he murmured in her ear, brushing her hair aside to kiss her neck. "I think," he continued, "I think I need a consult. I might need a doctor, because this thing I have…it's intense."_

_Meredith giggled at his seductiveness. "Well, lucky for you I am a doctor and I specialize in that thing you're complaining about," she teased. She turned in his arms and met his lips in a passionate kiss._

_Derek pulled away to look at her with concern on his face. "Are you okay to do this?" Meredith nodded, "I need you, Derek." she purred. "I need you to fuck…my…brains…out," she murmured between kisses. _

_Derek raised his eyebrows at her directness. "I am an expert on brains, you're in luck," he replied seductively, moving on top of her at an angle, careful to avoid putting his weight on his baby. He kissed her passionately. _

_For the next several hours, they played 'doctor' and Meredith was able to successfully diagnose and treat his symptoms, multiple times. __Derek followed his wife's orders in regards to her brain. They laid together in each others arms, exhausted from making up for lost time. Derek ran his hand up and down Meredith's back. "So, what was it you were thinking about?" he asked her seriously. _

_Meredith smiled as she ran her fingers over the hair on his chest. "It's stupid, forget it."_

"_It's not stupid if you thought of it. Tell me," he prompted._

"_Well, I was thinking that…well because we don't want to find out what the sex of the _

_baby is, we should make up a name for us to call it, you know, like a pet name. So we're not calling it 'it'."_

_Derek smiled, "Hmm, that's a good idea. What should we name it…uh…I mean him or her?"_

_Meredith thought for a moment, "Something cute. Something that mean's tiny."_

"_What about Chip? You eat chips all the time and he may actually come out looking like one," Derek joked._

_Meredith shook her head. "How about Tot? Tot as in a kid." _

_Derek kissed her forehead, "Hmm, I say we compromise. I like Chip and you like Tot. Chips are potatoes, or taters in the kid sense. How about, 'Tater Tot'?"_

_Meredith laughed. "I love it! It's perfect! Tater Tot Shepherd it is!"_

Meredith quietly shut Noah's door and made her way to her room. She grabbed the phone beside the bed and dialed Cristina's number. She sighed when the call went to voicemail. "Cristina, it's me…please call me when you have a moment. Derek's acting all weird and he lied…actually lied to me this morning. I need to talk to you. Call me. Bye." She put the phone back into the receiver and made her way to the bathroom to start her shower. She heard the phone ringing and sprinted to answer it. She flew on the bed as she picked up the phone. "That was quick." she said when she picked up the phone.

"What?" the voice on the other line said. It wasn't Cristina.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Meredith apologized. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm trying to get in touch with Derek. Could I speak to Derek please?" the woman asked.

Meredith raised an eyebrow. She didn't recognize the voice, "I'm sorry, he's not here. I can take a message for him."

"Oh…is this his wife?" the woman asked slowly.

"Yes, it is? Who am I speaking to?" Meredith asked.

"Uh…you know, I'll just call his cell phone. Have a good day." She hung up.

Meredith held the phone to her ear for a second. Who was the lady she just talked to and why did she know her husband's cell phone number? She quietly put the phone back on the receiver and walked slowly into the bathroom. She squeezed her eyes shut at the thought that entered her mind. Could her husband be having an affair?

"You want to watch Elmo again?" Meredith whined as Noah brought her his Elmo's World DVD. One of about twenty Elmo DVD's. The little red monster with the annoying voice was really starting to try her nerves.

Noah nodded his head, crawling into her lap. Meredith hugged him for a moment, taking in his scent. He smelled like a mixture of baby shampoo and fabric softener. Noah wiggled out of her arms and walked over to the television. "Melmo, pwease?" he asked as he pointed to the DVD player.

Meredith sighed as she got up and made her way to the television. She was putting the DVD in when the phone rang. "Mommy will be right back," she told Noah, who had already pulled his Elmo lawn chair up to the television to watch.

"Hello?" Meredith answered into the phone.

"Mer!" Cristina exclaimed into the phone. "I just assisted Dr. Dixon with a coronary angioplasty! It freaking rocked!"

"Good for you, Cristina," Meredith said flatly. She didn't need to hear about her person's great life when her life could potentially be turning into crap.

"What's up? Derek lied to you? That McBastard." Cristina said.

"I think he lied." She proceeded to tell Cristina about what she heard this morning and how it didn't add up to who Derek said he was talking to on the phone. Then she told her about the strange woman knowing Derek's cell phone number. "I think…I think Derek might be cheating on me" she confessed.

"Hmmm, if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck." Cristina stated.

"Gee, thanks for your support, Cristina. Remind me to talk to you the next time my world falls apart," Meredith felt tears forming in her eyes. She hurriedly wiped them away.

"Mer, Derek is madly in love with you. He worships the freaking ground you walk on. I've seen the way he looks at you, as pathetic as it is, and he looks at you like you're a goddess or something. He would never cheat on you, he's not the type of guy that would do that. He'd be an idiot to cheat." Cristina said.

"I don't know," Meredith whispered. "Something just doesn't seem right."

"Mer, if you are worried about it, ask him. You're all whole and healed now and whole and healed people talk their problems out. Put the rug rat to bed tonight, lock him in the bedroom with you, talk it out and then sex it up."

Meredith laughed. "Good plan, Cris, and it would work if he wasn't working late tonight." Cristina didn't say anything. "Cristina?" Meredith asked.

"Mer, Derek left about an hour ago. He was done at three today." Cristina said quietly.

Meredith felt like she had been punched in the stomach. He told her he was working late and not to wait up for him. "Mer? You okay?" Cristina asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I gotta go. Thanks for listening to me bitch." Meredith hung up the phone.

"_The idiot had the nerve to inform me that I was eating too much junk food," Meredith told Izzie as she shoved a huge bite of chocolate cake into her mouth. Izzie looked at her in amusement. _

"_Why would Derek think you were eating too much junk food?" Izzie smiled as she watched Meredith inhale the piece of cake. _

"_I have no freaking idea, the man is an idiot!" Meredith exclaimed. "Just because I don't eat cardboard for breakfast and eat salads for lunch doesn't mean I'm a junk food junkie. This baby is growing, I mean, you've seen me," she stood up for Izzie to get a glimpse of her large stomach. Izzie laughed at her. Meredith was an adorable pregnant person. _

"_So, Derek said that you are eating too much junk food. When did he say that?" Izzie asked her._

_Meredith shoved another bite of cake in her mouth. "Last night at dinner. I wasn't hungry, but I wanted dessert. He said it when I handed the waitress back the menu and asked what they had for dessert." She reached for the milk that Izzie had poured for her and took a big drink._

"_Was he joking?" Izzie asked, finding this conversation with Meredith way to funny. Interacting with the pregnant version of Meredith was enough to bust a gut. The girl was a trip._

"_Damned if I know. I mean, you don't tell the woman who is currently growing your child that she is eating too much. That's just wrong. I don't care if he was joking. I'm not speaking to him right now."_

"_Does Derek know you're not speaking to him?" Izzie asked._

"_Yep, I told him I wasn't speaking to him last night," Meredith put her fork down and inhaled deeply. "Thanks, Iz, that hit the spot."_

_Izzie laughed at her friend, "Do you want to take the rest home with you?" she offered._

"_Yeah!" Meredith's eyes lit up. "I'll take it home, put it on a plate and eat it right in front of him. I'll do it just to piss him off. The stupid brain man."_

_Izzie smiled and started cutting the cake to fit it in a Tupperware container. Derek sure had his hands full with Meredith. Only a select few knew about the little calendar that Derek kept in the locked part of his desk at work. The calendar that he pulled out every day to cross of the days until "Hormone Hell", how Derek referred to Meredith's pregnancy, ended._

Meredith laid awake listening to Derek's slow, even breathing. He had gotten in after eleven that night. He had quietly gotten in his pajamas and crawled into bed. He had kissed her cheek and spooned against her as Meredith pretended to sleep. After waiting a half hour to be sure he was asleep, she turned to look at him. She moved her face closer to him and sniffed his neck. He didn't smell like another woman's perfume. He didn't have lipstick marks on his cheeks or neck. _Geez, Meredith, you need to stop watching those freaking soaps, _she thought to herself. After being at home for six weeks with Carolyn after Noah's birth, Carolyn had gotten her addicted to **The Young and the Restless**. Derek now thought it was hilarious that his wife was a soap opera junkie and she faithfully set the DVR to record it when they were working.

Meredith looked at Derek's face sadly. She hated sneaking behind his back, but she had to find out what her husband was up to. Meredith wiggled her way out of his embrace and grabbed his cell phone off the stand. The fact that the mysterious woman knew Derek's cell number drove her insane. She needed to know who the lady was and thought for sure that she would have left Derek a message while he was in surgery. She quietly walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

She sat on the toilet seat, her fingers shaking as she dialed Derek's password when the voicemail prompted it. Derek had the same password for his computer log in, his debit card, and his voicemail. He had told her his password right after they had gotten married, telling her that because she was his wife, she needed to know these things. She felt a little guilty snooping thought his messages, but the curiosity was killing her.

She listened to the messages that Derek neglected to delete from his phone. The first message was one that she had left him a few days ago, just telling him that she missed him and loved him and to call her when he had a minute. The second was his mother calling to see how her Seattle family was doing. The third was from Monica. _Monica, who? _Meredith thought. She listened to the message. "Hey, Derek, it's Monica. Just calling to see if we're still on for tonight. I accidentally called your house phone and your wife picked up and I forgot that you didn't want me to call you there, so I just told her I'd call your cell and hung up. I don't think she's suspicious, but I thought I'd let you know. Let's meet at seven tonight. There's a nice little café on Second Street. I'm looking forward to seeing you." Meredith clicked the phone shut and sat in shock. What she had suspected was true. Her husband was having an affair with a woman named Monica. He told her not to call his home phone for fear that his wife would pick up and catch on to what he was doing. Meredith felt sick as she knelt down in front of the toilet. She lifted up the lid just in time to vomit.

"Her name is Monica and she's meeting my husband in cafes." Meredith told Cristina at lunch the next day.

"How'd you find that out?" Cristina asked.

Meredith looked at her for a moment. "I listened to his voicemails," she said softly.

Cristina snickered, "You've become a crazy stalker," she joked.

Meredith frowned at her. "I had a hunch he was up to something. I hate that I did it, but now I'm glad I did. My intuition was right, he's cheating on me." Meredith announced.

"Mer, you don't know he's cheating. Seriously, you don't. You have no proof besides the top secret phone call with Monica yesterday and him telling you he was working late when he was really with her. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, it does sound suspicious."

"I told you," Meredith said quietly, poking her grilled cheese with her fork. "What do I do about it?" she asked.

"You should hire a private investigator or something. You know, like they do in the movies."

"I am not hiring a private investigator!" Meredith exclaimed.

"Well, hire me. I have some time before my next surgery and you do, too. McDreamy will be in surgery for another two hours. Let's snoop through his office." Meredith looked at Cristina with a bewildered expression. "We can be like those two women, what are their names…Cagney and Lacy." Cristina offered. Meredith shrugged.

"Come on, Mer! I'm offering my assistance to you…I'm your person."

Meredith raised her eyebrows at her. "What if we get caught?"

"We won't. Promise. No one will know. He's your husband and no one will think it's suspicious if you go into his office," Cristina pointed out. Meredith nodded her head in agreement. "You'll have to be the detective that Tyne Daly played, though, because you're all domesticated with a kid," Cristina informed her.

"Fine," Meredith sighed. "But why do I feel like I'm rubbing salt in my wounds? If I find something out that I don't want to know, my world could come crashing down. Derek and I would get a divorce and then Noah would become a statistic. He'd be in the divorced parents club. It's not a nice club to be in, trust me. You know what? Maybe I don't want to know. Maybe what I don't know won't hurt me, turn the other cheek, pretend I don't have a clue…."

"I can't believe you are saying this, Mer. If your husband is cheating on you, you have a right to know." Cristina leaned in closer to her. "After what Addison did to him with Mark? He'd be a hypocrite," she said in a low tone. "You need to know, and I'm going to help you find out for sure."

The hallway was empty as Cristina and Meredith inched down the hall to Derek's office. They looked in both directions before slipping through the door and locking it after it closed. Cristina looked around as Meredith stood, nervously wringing her hands.

"Okay, let's start with his desk." Cristina ordered, making her way across the room to the desk piled with charts and paperwork. She looked at Meredith, who hadn't moved from her spot. "Mer?" she asked.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," Meredith said in a shaky voice. "He could come in at any time and we'd both be busted. Then he'd never let me live it down.."

"Okay, but if we find things that prove what you think he is doing, then he'd have a lot more to live down than you snooping in his office. Now, where's the key to this locked drawer?"

"It's taped under the desk," Meredith informed her, moving closer to the desk. Cristina felt with her hand under the desk and found the key. She yanked the tape off of it and proceeded to open the drawer. Meredith stared at the wall while Cristina rummaged through the items in the drawer. She couldn't bare to look.

"Hmm, lots of breath mints. Does McDreamy have stinky breath?" she asked Meredith.

"No, those are for the elevator. It's a Derek thing," Meredith explained.

Cristina rolled her eyes and snickered at the contents in the drawer. Cristina held up a pair of pink furry handcuffs. "Um, Mer, please tell me you recognize these," she said. Meredith could feel her cheeks turning red as she snatched the handcuffs from her hand. "Was it a prop for Project Baby Shepherd?" she joked.

"Shut up!" Meredith hissed. "They were on sale at Lusty Lady!" She threw the hand cuffs back into the drawer, catching a glimpse of a tiny calendar. She grabbed it and started flipping through it. "This is a calendar of last year and every day is crossed off. Hormone Hell? What is Hormone Hell?" She asked, reading the title on the front cover of the book.

Cristina cleared her throat and looked away.

"You know what this is about, don't you? Tell me!" Meredith demanded.

"That was how Derek…uh…kept track of when you were due," Cristina explained.

"And he titled it Hormone Hell? Why?" Meredith asked.

Cristina thought for a moment, "Because your hormones were hell to live with when you were pregnant?" Cristina guessed.

"I was not that bad!" Meredith protested.

"Mer, okay, the fact that your husband kept a calendar of your pregnancy and took the time to cross off every day until you gave birth is a sign that you were that bad!"

"Whatever," Meredith paused. "There's nothing in here, nothing suspicious anyway." She closed the drawer and turned to the stand along the wall. She smiled sadly at the pictures Derek displayed on it. One was of the two of them in front of the Eiffel Tower on their honeymoon, another was of them and Noah at the park, another of Derek and his mother. He looked so happy in their pictures together. What happened since then that changed that?

Meredith turned back to watch Cristina search Derek's desk, careful not to move anything out of place. Cristina's eyes were suddenly drawn to a post-it note that had Derek's handwriting scribbled on it.

"What is it?" Meredith asked. "What do you see?"

Cristina grabbed the post-it and held it up for Meredith to see. "Bingo!" she exclaimed.

Meredith felt the lump become bigger in her throat as she read the contents of the paper: **One and Only**, **Monica Douglass, 684-2419. **Meredith could feel the floor fall away beneath her as she collapsed into Derek's chair.

"Mer, are you alright?" Cristina asked her.

"No," Meredith whispered. "No, I'm not." She looked at Cristina in shock. "He put his girlfriend's name on a post-it note," she said bitterly. "We put our marriage vows on a post-it note." Meredith burst into tears. Cristina rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

Meredith looked at the name again. She now had proof that her husband was cheating on her. He wasn't thinking about his family or what this would do to her and Noah. He was thinking of himself. Himself and his whore. Meredith could feel the anger burning through her veins. She would be paying Miss Monica Douglass a visit. And the visit? I would be anything BUT bright and shiny.

**To Be Continued….**

**Okay, I so pulled a Shonda and left you in slight suspense. Please don't kill me. This chapter was wayyy to long to post as one, so I will post part 2 as soon as I can. **


	8. Jumping To Conclusions

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, nope.**

**Chapter Seven, Part 2:**

"Douglass…Douglass…Monica Douglass, here it is! Monica Douglass, 443 Canary Lane," Cristina informed Meredith later on that day as the two of them hunched over a phone book at the nurses station. After finding Monica's name on a post-it note, Meredith had decided to pay her a visit. Cristina figured that she'd go with Meredith because she'd need the moral support, that and a get away car. She wasn't sure what to say to Meredith. She knew her person was hurting and she would do whatever Meredith needed her to do to help her. Even if that meant confronting her best friend's husband's whore.

Cristina watched as Meredith scribbled down the address on a tablet. "Where is McDreamy tonight?" Cristina asked.

Meredith shrugged, "He's home with Noah tonight," she said quietly. "I'll call him in a minute and tell him I'm going to be late."

"What are you going to tell him?" Cristina asked.

"I will tell him…I'll tell him that I got pulled in to another surgery," Meredith said.

"You're going to lie?" Cristina asked, slightly amused.

"He lied to me! About the person he was talking to in the bathroom!"

"Tell him whatever, I'm going to go change. I'll meet you in the parking lot in twenty," Cristina informed Meredith as she walked away.

Meredith pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Derek's number. "Hey there," Derek answered when he picked up. "Are you on your way home?" he asked.

Meredith cleared her throat. "No, actually, I am being pulled into surgery in a few minutes. I am calling to tell you I'll be home later than usual tonight," she said, guilt washing over her as she spoke.

"Oh," the disappointment was clear in his voice. "That stinks."

"Why? I thought you'd be happy that I'm getting to practice my surgical skills."

"I am…Mer, it's just I haven't seen you in a few days and I wanted to spend the evening with you," he confessed. "But I understand. I'll see you when you get home?"

"Yeah," she could feel the tears forming in her eyes," Not sure of the time, though."

"Okay, be safe driving home…I love you." Derek said softly.

_I know_, Meredith wanted to say. "I have to go," she quickly flipped her phone shut.

_Play the McDreamy card with me_, she thought, _nice try at a cover up._

"_Meredith, could you roll over please?" Derek moaned sleepily. Meredith had somehow spooned up against him on his side of the bed and had propped her leg over his hip, causing her enormous stomach to press into his back. The enormous stomach that was holding his child that would be coming any day. The baby was making __his presence known by repeatedly kicking his father in the back._

"_Hmmph," she muttered. "I am comfortable where I am. That body pillow doesn't work anymore. The only way I can get comfortable is when I prop my leg up on you. It's okay, go back to sleep," she mumbled._

"_I would go back to sleep if Tater was not kicking the hell out of my back. Isn't the kicking keeping you awake?" Derek asked._

"_Hmm…no. The__ father is keeping me awake with his whining," she replied. _

_Derek sighed, knowing that his wife would not be moving anytime soon. He grabbed one of the pillows that had fallen on the floor and proceeded to put it in between his back and her stomach. _

"_Don't move!" Meredith said loudly. "You move and I'll kill you."_

_Derek chuckled. "Such scary threats," he teased. He winced as Meredith pinched his ass. "Ouch! Husband abuse."_

"_Derek," Meredith said, a little more awake, "I have been carrying around your baby for thirty eight weeks. Lately, I've had to get up numerous times through the night to pee because your baby is pressing on my bladder. I am now doing procedures at work that must be two hours long or less, meaning what surgeries I do get are crap. I can't see my feet and I have to ask the closest person standing next to me if my shoes are tied. I have stretch marks all over my once flattering stomach. My breasts look like they could explode at any time. My ass…let's not talk about what happened to my ass. Anyway, my point is that the least you could do is let me prop my leg up on you while I sleep." She sighed in exasperation._

"_There's nothing wrong with your ass," Derek informed her. "And I love your breasts."_

"_Hmm, I'm sure you do," she said sleepily._

"_Okay, since we're talking about symptoms, let's discuss mine. My wife is freaking hot, more so now than she was nine months ago. She's beautiful because she's my wife and she's carrying my child. Watching her carry my child makes me fall in love with her over and over again. Her breasts are beautiful, her whole body is beautiful, hell, even her stretch marks are beautiful. She's so freaking beautiful that I've been walking around with a permanent woody for the past thirty eight weeks. It makes surgery very difficult when your woody gets in the way. He's there all the time making me think dirty things about my wife. Oh, and people aren't as happy to see a woody as they are a baby bump." _

_M__eredith suddenly giggled and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her hand moved lower to the waistband of his pajama pants. "I'd love to see your woody," she said seductively, reaching her hand into his pants and stroking his length._

_Derek groaned at her touch. "Really? You want sex?" Derek asked excitedly, rolling over onto his back to look at her. _

"_Yes," she whispered in his ear. "Just as soon as I pee."_

"This is a nice part of town," Cristina stated, looking around the neighborhood on Canary Lane. They were parked directly outside the home of Monica Douglass.

"Whatever," Meredith replied shortly. "Looks like a street where home wreckers live."

Cristina looked at her curiously from the driver's seat. Meredith had insisted that she drive her car, griping that she was too nervous to be behind the wheel of a vehicle. "What are you going to say to her?" she asked.

Meredith stared out the window for a moment. "I haven't thought it out that far, yet. I kinda didn't have a plan. I just want to see what she looks like. What is good enough to jeopardize your family for, you know?"

Cristina nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?" she asked.

Meredith shook her head, "No, I can do this. It would be completely awkward if you were to go to the door with me." Meredith took a deep breath and opened the car door. She slammed it behind her.

"And you showing up on your husband's mistresses' doorstep **won't** be awkward?" Cristina muttered to herself.

Meredith walked slowly up the sidewalk and onto the porch of Monica Douglass' house. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was yet to come. She turned towards Cristina, who was watching her from the car. Cristina motioned for her to keep going.

Meredith walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

Derek was concerned. His conversation earlier with his wife was disturbing. She sounded down, almost distant and he wasn't sure what the cause was. He had tried to leave her a voicemail on her cell phone, but when he called, he got the message that her inbox was full. He texted her a few times, but never heard a response. He decided to call the hospital and have one of the nurses leave her a message to call him.

Derek dialed the number to Seattle Grace Hospital. "Seattle Grace Hospital, this is Debbie speaking,"

"Debbie, it's Derek Shepherd. I was hoping to leave a message for my wife. It's not an emergency, but I need her to call me as soon as she can. She's in surgery now and I can't get through on her cell phone to leave a message." Derek explained.

"Oh, hi, Dr. Shepherd. I would be happy to take a message for you." Debbie scanned the OR board for Dr. Grey's name, and frowned when she didn't see it on the board. "Hold on, Dr. Shepherd," she placed him on hold as she saw Dr. Karev walk by.

"Excuse me, Dr. Karev," Nurse Debbie called.

"What?" Alex replied shortly.

"Dr. Grey? Have you seen her?" Debbie asked.

Alex thought for a moment. "Grey left around four today. You want her, page her." he walked away.

Nurse Debbie picked the phone back up, "Dr. Shepherd, I'm sorry, but Dr. Grey left around four this afternoon. She's not in surgery right now. I can leave her a message, but I'm not sure how she'd get it."

Derek felt his heart rate increase. Why would his wife tell him she was in surgery when she wasn't? He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost eight. She hadn't come home, so where the hell was she?

"Dr. Shepherd?" Nurse Debbie asked. "Do you want me to leave Dr. Grey a message?"

"Oh, actually Debbie, I hear her pulling in the garage right now. Sorry to bother you," he lied, closing his phone. He paced the room for a moment, gathering his thoughts. The feelings that he was feeling were all too familiar to him. He had felt those same feelings the night he suspected that Addison was cheating on him. Only, then, those feelings panned out to be true. He had no reason to think that Meredith was cheating on him, but then again, what was so important that she had to lie to him about it?

Meredith stood at the door, nervously waiting for someone to answer it. A woman who appeared to be in her early fifties with short red hair that was spiked and way too much makeup answered the door. She appeared to be a little over five feet tall, and was overly plump. Her characteristics reminded Meredith of a horse.

"Hello?" the woman asked. "Can I help you?"

Meredith stood speechless for a moment. This was the woman her husband was having an affair with? She couldn't be the one. Meredith shuddered at the thought.

"Miss?" the lady asked again.

"Oh, sorry. Is this 443 Canary Lane?" Meredith asked.

The woman nodded her head, motioning to the 4-4-3 that was posted right beside the door.

Meredith rolled her eyes at her stupidity. "I'm sorry. I'm actually looking for a Monica Douglass. Does she live here?"

"I'm Monica Douglass," the woman answered. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Meredith stood in shock. The woman standing before her was Monica Douglass. THE Monica Douglass. The woman who knew her husband's cell number, met him in cafes, and looked forward to it.

"Can I help you, Miss?" she asked again.

"You're Monica Douglass?" Meredith asked again.

The woman nodded, "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh, I am so sorry, but I am almost positive that I've got the wrong house. I apologize for interrupting your evening," Meredith turned and fled down the walk, her eyes flowing over with tears.

She was sobbing by the time she reached the car. She flung the passenger side door open and flopped into the seat, covering her eyes with her hands as she cried. Cristina looked at her sympathetically. "Mer, what happened?" she asked.

"She looks like a horse. My husband is having an affair with a woman that looks like a horse. She has horse teeth. Big, long teeth and when she smiled at me, all I could see was her teeth. What is it with Derek and women who have horse teeth? Rose had horse teeth, too. Addison didn't have horse teeth, but she resembled a horse," She turned to Cristina, "Do I have horse teeth?' she asked, presenting her with a fake smile.

Cristina raised her eyebrows, "No, you have nice teeth. What did you find out?"

"My husband…my husband is having an affair with a middle aged woman…a woman who is…apparently prettier than me. It was her house…the house of Monica Douglass. Both were silent for a moment. "I give him great sex, Cristina. Mind blowing sex that leaves him begging for more." Cristina groaned as Meredith continued. "Hell, I screwed him in the bathroom at Joe's after he went all cave man on the guy who he thought was hitting on me."

Cristina's mouth dropped. "You and McDreamy did the nasty nasty in the bathroom at Joe's? What the hell are you? A nymphomaniac?"

Meredith shook her head. "I just got really turned on when he got jealous. And we like sex, a lot of sex. When I was pregnant, we had sex all the time. .Time. Maybe that's what's wrong. Maybe I'm not screwing him enough."

Cristina rolled her eyes, "That's probably it," she said sarcastically.

Meredith looked at her pleadingly, "So, what do I do now?"

Cristina rubbed Meredith's shoulder. "You confront the bastard, that's what you do."

_Derek sighed as he read the text message from his wife. She had wrote, "Hey, meet me in the on-call room in ten minutes. I need your help with something." Derek groaned, thinking that she probably wanted a foot or back rub. He __didn't mind doing it, he loved her and she was miserable in her last weeks of pregnancy, but all this devotion and tending to her every need was exhausting. _

_He walked slowly as he made his way to the on call room. He stood in front of the door for a moment, preparing for what his duties would be when he entered. He took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was dark and there was no sign of Meredith. He walked further into the room and heard the door close and lock behind him. He turned around quickly, coming face to face with his wife. His wife'__s eyes stared back at him, her face mad with desire. _

"_Hello," Derek managed to say. "__You needed me for something?" he asked. He swore he heard a growl escape from Meredith's throat._

"_You're right," she said huskily, "I do need something…something big. And only you can help me with that." She roughly pushed him up against the wall and pulled his lips to hers in a hard kiss. Derek pulled away to look at her with a puzzled expression. "You don't want me to rub your back or your feet?" he questioned._

_Meredith shook her head slowly. "No, Dr. Shepherd, not my back or feet. My other areas need attention from you." She pulled him back to her to kiss him again. Her tongue darted in and out of his mouth, causing him to groan__ deeply. _

"_What…areas…need…me?" he asked between Meredith's frantic kisses. She pulled away and smiled at him. She lifted her scrub top over her head and swiftly unhooked her bra. "First, these are feeling rather bad at the moment. I think they just need someone to pay attention to them. They've been working hard, trying to get ready to feed your child and it's about time you thank them for it," she demanded._

_Derek gazed longingly at his wife's very full breasts. Two of the many perks of Meredith's pregnancy. He loved the way her body changed to accommodate their child. A child that was a product of their love for one another. In Derek's eyes, Meredith's body was a temple and he worshipped it from head to toe. _

"_Derek!" Meredith exclaimed. "Stop staring and start touching! Preferably with your mouth!" _

"_Yes, dear," Derek answered. He spun her around so that her back was against the wall. His mouth ravaged her breasts while his hands roamed over them, gently rubbing her nipples into stiff peaks. Meredith moaned in pleasure as she raked her hands through is hair. _

_When his actions had satisfied that area of need, she pulled his face up to her to kiss him again. "What other areas need my attention?" he smirked. _

_Meredith smiled cockily and backed him up towards the bed. She shoved him onto the bed forcefully and climbed on top of him. "I have an itch," she whispered, "an itch that I simply cannot reach myself." She grabbed the waist of his scrub pants and pulled them down. Derek kicked his sneakers off as Meredith shoved his pants to his ankles. Derek quickly kicked his pants off and helped her to remove her pants. His eyes scanned her body. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. _

_Meredi__th swiftly lowered herself onto him, moaning at the feel of him inside of her. Derek's eyes rolled to the back of his head as she moved on top of him. He moaned as his pleasure intensified as her movements became faster. He reached between her legs and found her clit and began rubbing it in circles. Meredith moaned at his actions and moved faster. He felt her clamp around him and he quickly reached his orgasm. He watched her through hooded eyes as she came on top of him, her face flushed and her body trembling. He reached up to rub her stomach as their breathing slowed. Meredith detached herself from him and curled up beside him on the bed. _

"_Thank you," she whispered, running her hand up his chest. "That was amazing."_

"_I seem to have that effect on you a lot," he joked._

_Meredith rolled her eyes, "I would remind you of your ego, but seeing how everyone in this hospital thinks you have some sort of erectile dysfunction because you're constantly pitching a tent in your pants, I'll be sympathetic and let your comment slide." _

"Do you want to dance it out?' Cristina asked Meredith, who had her head propped against the window of the car door in front of Cristina's apartment.

"No," Meredith answered.

"Do you want to drink tequila?" Cristina offered.

"No," Meredith echoed.

"Do you want to give me the sparkle pager until you're able to reap the full benefits of it again?" Cristina asked.

Meredith lifted her head from the window to glare at Cristina. Her glare quickly faded and her expression saddened again. "I think I'm just going to go home and lick my wounds," Meredith announced. She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out the sparkle pager. "I will allow you to own the sparkle pager for the next twenty four hours as a thank you for being a great friend." Meredith handed the pager over to the eagerly waiting hands of Cristina.

Cristina looked at her pleased. "If I were a person who hugged, I'd hug you."

Meredith gave her a disgusted face. Cristina smirked and got out of the car.

Meredith started the drive home. She reached into her purse for her cell phone. She noticed that she had left her phone on vibrate, neglecting to change the ringer after leaving the hospital. She saw that she had two new text messages from Derek. One said: **Hey, thinking about you, call when you have time, **and the other: **Mer, call me when you get a moment.**

Meredith became slightly agitated that her husband had the nerve to cover up what he was doing by pretending that he cared. She had made up her mind that she was going to let him have it. She was going to confront him with what she found out. Once he confessed to what he was doing, she would leave. She would eventually move on, Noah would adjust to his new life, and they would be civil for him. It would be hard, but she could do it.

Derek waited at the kitchen table in the dark for his wife to get home. For the past few hours he had tortured himself with the reasons why Meredith would have lied to him about needing to stay at work to perform surgery. Where was she all this time when she should have been home with him? He tapped his finger against the wood of the table impatiently.

His body stiffened as he heard the garage door open and the motor of her car shut off. He watched her walk through the kitchen door and hang up her coat. She hung her keys on her key holder and walked to the counter to turn the light above the stove on. The kitchen became softly lit and Derek watched Meredith sigh heavily and rub her eyes.

"I called the hospital," he said softly. Meredith jumped at his voice, quickly turning to look in the direction the voice came from. Her eyes fell on Derek, sitting calmly in the dark at the table, looking at her with a sad expression. "I called the hospital," he repeated. "I called because when I talked to you earlier today, I though something was wrong in your voice. I wanted to find out what was wrong with you. I called the hospital and you weren't there." His voice became suddenly louder at his last sentence. "You told me that you needed to stay later because you had surgery," he said shortly. Derek stood up from the table quickly and walked towards her, standing right in front of her with an intense gaze. A gaze filled with sadness and hurt. "Where were you?" he asked her.

Meredith stared at him, ready for a fight. "Where were you?" he repeated again loudly.

"I...I had some things that I needed to follow up with," she informed him. "Some things came to my attention and I needed to verify that they were correct."

"What things came to your attention?" Derek demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Meredith cleared her throat. She was going to let him have it. There would be no holding back.

"Well, everything was great, fabulous actually until I overheard my husband talking about me in the bathroom to someone…that someone is yet to be determined…about not telling me about something and you needing to get it sorted out before you told me. Told me what, Derek? Then, when I later asked my wonderful husband who he was talking to, he lied to me and told me that he was answering a page from the hospital. Then, after my wonderful husband went to work, I get a call from a mystery lady that hung up on me when I told her I was his wife." Meredith clasped her jaw, "Who is Monica Douglass and why does she have your cell number and why is she meeting you in cafes?" she asked him through clenched teeth.

Derek's facial expression changed from anger to shock. "How…when…"

Meredith interrupted him. "You know, Derek, I'm just going to come out and say it. I checked your voicemails, Derek, and Miss Monica left you a message, telling you that she called you at home and forgot that you didn't want her calling you at home and that I didn't seem suspicious, but wanted to warn you anyway. Oh and how she was looking forward to seeing you and meeting you in a café and for all I know, taking you back to her place to have her way with you. While your wife, wife, Derek, is home taking care of your son..."

"Meredith…" Derek started.

"Shut up! I am talking." Meredith snapped. "So then I go into your office and find that you wrote her name and her number on a post-it note, calling her your one and only. Post-it notes were sacred to us, Derek. Or at least I thought they were until you wrote your whore's information on one!" she yelled.

"Meredith…please…" Derek said.

"I said, shut up! I am talking!" She yelled, tears rolling down her face. "Then I went to see her…"

"You what?" Derek interjected his eyes as big as golf balls.  
Meredith shot him a murderous look and he shut up. "I went to see her and let me just say that you could have done me justice, Derek! If you're going to fuck around on me, you could have at least picked someone who was a catch. I wasn't going to say this, but I might as well. What the hell is with you and the need to be with women who look like horses or have the horse teeth?"

"Huh?" Derek asked.

"Well, let's see, Addison didn't have the teeth, but she looked like a horse. Then there was Rose who definitely had the teeth, and now this Monica has them, too. And while we're on the subject of Addison, I never thought that you would be such a hypocrite, Derek. After what she did to you with Mark and now you're doing it to me? I can't believe you!"

She burst into tears, covering her eyes with her hands as she sobbed.

Derek reached for her arm, but she yanked it away. He stood there watching his wife, his wife that was evidently devastated at the idea that he was having an affair. An affair with a woman who had horse teeth, apparently. He stared at her quietly, not reaching out to hold her for fear of what she might do to him. He knew how far he could push pregnant Meredith, but angry, 'thinking her husband is cheating', Meredith was a different story. She could potentially kill him.

She looked up at him and searched his face for an answer. She didn't find one. "Say something," she whispered. "I need to hear it from you." She closed her eyes, waiting for the words.

Derek took a deep breath, "Meredith, Mer, look at me," he waited for her eyes to meet his, which they didn't. "Look at me, Meredith," he said again, cupping her face in his hands. Meredith looked at him with tears in her eyes. He looked back at her lovingly as he wiped her tears away.

"You are my wife," he stated. Meredith started to say something, but Derek interrupted. "You had your chance to talk. Now it's my turn. You are my wife, my **wife**," he repeated, putting emphasis on the last word. "Do you understand what that means?" he asked.

Meredith hiccupped. "It means we're married," she whispered.

Derek shook his head, "it means more than that. It means that I am committed to you. Committed in the 'I have given you my heart and soul' way. Committed in the 'I will never love anyone else or make love to anyone else but you,' way." Derek rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks.

"Who is Monica Douglass and why did you write one and only beside her name?" she asked him quietly.

Derek looked at her for a moment, silently debating with himself to tell her. "Monica Douglass is a travel agent that Richard recommended to me," he said. Meredith looked at him confused. "And One and Only is the beach resort in Nassau that he recommended taking you to. It was going to be a surprise gift for our anniversary next month. I don't have the time to plan the trip myself, so I hired Monica to do it for me. I met her in the café to discuss the details with her. That's who Monica Douglass is." Derek watched her for her reaction.

Meredith could feel her face turning red. "Well, then why did you lie to me about who you were talking to in the bathroom?" She demanded.

Derek nodded. "I was talking to Mom. You know when she calls us, she calls you. She only calls me when she can't get in touch with you. If I told you that I was talking to her, you would definitely get suspicious."

"What does your mom have to do with this?" she asked.

"Our son will be spending five fun filled days with Grandma Shepherd in New York while we will be lying in the sun in the Bahamas. I was calling her to make sure that she would be able to do it. Let me tell you, the lady is ecstatic." He smiled at her, but he suddenly became serious. "Mer, you need to trust me. I would never consider cheating on you, ever. You are like my oxygen…my life support. I can't live without you and I don't ever want to try to live without you. I want to die when I'm one hundred and ten years old in your arms. I meant what I said when I told you I wanted a lifetime with you. Lifetime to me does not include mistresses and affairs. It means I am dedicated to you and only you for the rest of my life. Got it?"

Meredith nodded, tears filling her eyes. She really felt like an ass. "I'm sorry I accused you of having an affair. I don't know why I jumped to conclusions. I do trust you, I really do. I love you with all my heart, Derek, and I'm scared to death of losing you."

"Well, you can stop worrying about that because I am not going anywhere. I'm in this forever with you, Meredith Shepherd." He kissed her passionately on the lips, leaving her breathless.

He pulled away and gave her a smug look. "Me and Monica, huh? Hmm…she looked more like a chipmunk than a horse. Rose…God, she reminded me of a giraffe with that long neck." Meredith giggled. "And Addison…a camel…definitely a camel."

**Okay, so this is it. Sorry to all the MerDer fans that thought that Derek was a'cheatin on Mer. Oh, and "One and Only" is an actual beach resort in Nassau. I know because I stayed there in college. Not like I could afford it on my own. I went with one of my rich friends and it was definitely paradise :)  
I'm sure Derek Shepherd could afford a week there with is neurosurgeon salary!! Leave me love!**


	9. Sick Baby

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy

**Chapter Eight:**

"Meredith!" Derek moaned pitifully from the couch. Meredith walked into the room and looked at him.

"What?' she asked.

"Can you make me some soup?" He coughed pathetically. "Please?"

Meredith raised her eyebrow, "You want me to make you soup? You must be sick," she joked.

Derek pulled the quilt over him more. "Dump the soup in a pot, add a can of water and heat it on low," he instructed her.

"Got it, anything else you need?" she asked him, tucking the quilt around his feet.

"The clicker," he pointed to the chair where the television remote was. Meredith grabbed the remote and handed it to him. "Oh, and some tissues, my nose is running."

"Well maybe you should catch it," she laughed at her joke, but quickly stopped when she saw that Derek wasn't laughing. "Derek, I am waiting on you hand and foot, the least you could do is laugh at my pathetic jokes."

Derek created a fake, overdramatic laugh, causing him to explode into a massive coughing spell. Meredith looked at him in amusement. "Are you going to live?" she asked him.

Derek vigorously shook his head back and forth. "I feel like death. Why couldn't Noah keep his germs to himself?" he whined.

"Um, because you were the one hugging and kissing him when he had the one hundred and two degree fever. You asked for it."

"I couldn't resist the cutest kid ever created. Not after being away from him for five whole days." Derek turned on the television and began searching through channels. "I think I got some virus from the Bahamas ."

Meredith sighed, half believing that her husbands statement was true. She had an upset stomach since they arrived back in Seattle three days ago.

"I'll get your soup," Meredith said. "If you smell something burning, it's not my fault because you asked me to cook for you." She turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"You're not cooking, you're heating up," he called after her.

Noah walked into the living room and offered Derek the cup he was carrying. "He ya go, Da-yee," he said as he offered him the cup, which was full of water. Derek took the cup from him and took a sip.

"Thanks, Buddy, Daddy was thirsty." He quickly drank the rest of the water and handed Noah back the cup.

Noah giggled. "More?" he asked.

Derek nodded, "I would love more water, Noah." Noah turned and ran out of the room. He soon came back with another full cup. "Drink?" He handed the cup to Derek.

Derek took a sip and sighed. "That water hit the spot."

Meredith walked into the room, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup on it. "Here is your soup, Der. I think it's cooked or heated up, or whatever."

She looked at Noah and then at her husband, who was drinking from one of Noah's plastic cups from his tea set. "What are you drinking?" she asked him.

"My man, Noah, got his Daddy some water because he knew he was thirsty." He raised his eyebrows at Meredith as he took another sip.

Meredith's eyes got wide. "Uh…Der…Noah is too short to reach the sink. He can turn the bathtub faucet on, but the bathtub is upstairs. The only access that Noah has to water downstairs is the toilet." She giggled as Derek gingerly set the cup on the stand.

"Point taken," he groaned.

"Feebo?" Noah asked Meredith from his seat in the car. Meredith turned to look at him and smiled.

"Yep, we are getting on the ferry boat. Mommy needs to pick up a few things at the store for Daddy because he is feeling yucky." She pulled into the traffic that was waiting for the ferry. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text message from Derek. He wrote: **I need more Vicks, we're all out. **Meredith chuckled to herself. Her husband was a world class neurosurgeon. People admired him for his knowledge and skill. But when her husband was sick, he turned into the biggest baby that anyone would ever meet. Meredith groaned inwardly making a mental note to pick up some Pepto Bismol and Tums when she got to the store because her heart burn and stomach ache were not going away.

Meredith followed the traffic onto the ferryboat and stopped her car.

Meredith turned to look at Noah in the back seat. He smiled at her, "out," he motioned for Meredith to get him out of his car seat. Meredith sighed and got out of the car. She opened up Noah's door and unhooked him and they walked up to the deck to look out over the bay. Noah pointed at the other boats that were floating in the bay with a huge smile on his face. Meredith looked down into the water, suddenly feeling a wave of nausea hit her. She grabbed onto Noah's hand and pulled him closer to her. She managed to get to the nearest bench to sit down and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her stomach. _Please don't puke, please don't puke_, she thought to herself just as she stood quickly and threw up over the side of the boat. She sat back down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Noah peered over the side of the boat and turned to look at her unhappily. "Tat dross, Mama," he said.

"_Okay, first I want to say that if there is anything wrong with this room, it's Mark's fault," Derek warned her as they stood in front of the closed nursery door. The nursery was finished and Derek was ready to present it to Meredith. _

_Meredith giggled. "I'm sure that I will love the room, Derek. No need to blame Mark for anything." She rubbed her very swollen belly, "I'm sure Tater will love it, too."_

_Derek inhaled, his hand on the door knob. "Okay, think Mother Goose," he opened the door and motioned for Meredith to walk in. _

_Meredith gasped as she looked at the nursery. The room was beautiful with the mural of Humpty Dumpty that went the entire length of the wall. The wall border had cows jumping over moons and cats playing fiddles. The furniture that they had ordered for the nursery was completely assembled and put in the appropriate places. The rocking chair that Derek's mother had bought for them was placed alongside the window. The room was simply perfect for a baby. _

_Meredith smiled brightly at Derek and waddled over to the rocking chair. She sat down and rocked back and forth. "This room is perfect, Derek. I love it!" she exclaimed._

_Derek smiled and nodded."I figured that you'd want the chair there so you could have a view of Seattle while you fed the baby," Derek said softly, coming up behind her and looking out the window. Meredith could feel tears forming in her eyes. She was truly the luckiest woman in the world. _

"_Oh, and one more thing," Derek said excitedly. He closed the blinds and walked over to turn off the light switch. Meredith's mouth dropped open as she looked around the room. Glowing stars and a moon covered the ceiling, making it look exactly like a clear, starry night. _

"_How did you do that?" she breathed. She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. _

"_It's glow in the dark paint. Mark and I found it at Home Depot. We thought it was neat." Meredith giggled. _

"_Boys will be boys," Meredith replied, squeezing him tightly. _

_Derek kissed the top of her head. "You're just lucky we ran out of paint when we did because we were going to put stars on our bedroom ceiling, too."_

Meredith carried a sleeping Noah upstairs to his bed. He had fallen asleep on the way home from running errands. The house was quiet when they arrived home, so Meredith thought that Derek had fallen asleep. Wrong.

"Meredith!" Derek called from their bedroom. Meredith rolled her eyes at her husband's patheticness and grabbed the bag that was sitting in the hallway. She walked into their bedroom and smirked at her husband who was lying in bed with the covers up to his neck. "Did you get me more Vicks?" he asked.

She nodded, grabbed it out of the bag and handed it to him. "Would you like me to rub it on your chest, honey?" she asked him sarcastically. Derek must not have noticed her sarcasm because he nodded his head. She sighed and picked up the jar as he pushed the covers off his chest and pulled his shirt up.

"Just last week I was putting lotion on you as we were lying in the sun. Now this week I'm rubbing vapor rub on you. Next week, it will be Ben Gay," she joked.

Derek looked at her with an annoyed expression. "I am sick," he informed her. "Now is not the time for your old man jokes."

Meredith sighed and helped him pull his t-shirt back down over his chest. She stood up, "Is there anything you need right now?"

Derek nodded. "The blanket from the closet. I'm cold."

Meredith walked out of the room and to the linen closet. She grabbed a blanket and walked back to the bedroom. She proceeded to cover him with it. Derek looked at the blanket in alarm, "No! Not that blanket! I want the fluffy blue one. That one is rough. I can't sleep with a rough blanket."

Meredith counted to five and refolded the rough blanket. She walked back to the linen closet, got the blue fluffy one, and took it back to Derek. She sighed when she walked back into the room and he was sound asleep. He was adorable under the blanket. He reminded her of Noah when he slept. She quietly covered her middle aged baby with his blue fluffy blanket and kissed his forehead.

_Derek walked up the stairs, down the hall and into his bedroom. He had just worked a twenty four hour shift and he was exhausted. He stopped when he saw the sight in his bedroom. Meredith's closet door was wide open. Her clothes were strewn all over the bed and floor. It looked as though her closet had thrown up._

"_Mer?" he called, cautiously stepping around her fallen wardrobe. He heard sniffles coming from the bathroom. He stopped at the doorway, seeing his slightly pregnant wife perched on the edge of the bathtub. She was dressed in her underwear and a bra that flattered her newly enhanced breasts. _

"_Mer?" he asked again. "What's wrong?"_

_Meredith looked up at him with her tear soaked face. "I am the fattest woman in the history of fat women," she sobbed. _

"_No your not," Derek argued, walking into the bathroom and kneeling in front of her. He looked at her lovingly, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face._

"_Yes, I am," she wailed. "None of my clothes fit me anymore, Derek. What am I going to do?" Derek quickly wiped the tears that was falling from her eyes._

"_You know what we're going to do?" He tilted her chin so she looked at him. "We are going shopping."_

"_Shopping? Derek, I'm not in the mood to shop. What did you want to shop for?" she sniffed._

"_I don't want to shop for me. I want to shop for you. It's time we bought you clothes to accommodate our baby." Derek waited for her reaction._

_Meredith gave him a skeptical look. "You want to take me shopping for maternity clothes?"_

_Derek nodded. "Absolutely, you can try them on and model them for me. Ooh, then we can buy maternity lingerie and you can model it for me at home." He wiggled his eyebrows at her._

_Meredith giggled. "You really want to see a fat, pregnant chick in lingerie? Seriously?"_

_Derek looked at her for a moment, "You are beautiful, Meredith. I know you might not think you are, but you are. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. You are not fat, you're pregnant." He put his hand over her slightly bulging abdomen. "I am honored that you're carrying my baby."_

_Meredith smiled at him through her tears. "You keep up with the sweet talk, Dr. Shepherd, and you may get lucky tonight."_

_Derek leaned up to kiss her. "If I'm not mistaken, isn't that how we got in this predicament to begin with?" he joked._

"Are you about finished here?" Derek asked as he walked up to her where she was standing at the nurses station.

Meredith sighed, "I'll be done in about fifteen minutes." Meredith rubbed her temples as the dull headache she had all day started throbbing.

Derek rubbed her back softly. "You okay," he murmured.

Meredith nodded. "I've just had a headache all day and I can't seem to get rid of this heartburn. I'm out of Tums."

Derek smiled. "I'll tell you what, I'll swing by the gift shop on my way to get Noah and get you a pack of Tums."

Meredith nodded. "That would be fabulous. Thanks, honey." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her to kiss him. "Love you," she said softly.

Derek kissed her neck quickly, "Mmm, love you, too."

Meredith felt like crap. Her stomach had been unsettled for the past few days and the ferryboat, which she usually loved to ride on, made her ill. She also had consistent heartburn and was popping Tums like candy. Meredith looked at her watch after what seemed like an eternity since Derek went to get Noah. Suddenly, Meredith felt two little arms wrap around her neck. She turned around into the blue eyes of her son, who was being carried by his father. "He ya go, Mama," Noah said, handing her the container of Tums.

"Hey! Thank you! What took you so long?" she asked them as Derek leaned in to kiss her gently.

Derek looked at Meredith with amused eyes. "It appears that our son has a girlfriend by the name of Madison at daycare," he informed her.

"A girlfriend?" Meredith asked. "How do you know that?"

"Because I watched our son get her coat out of her cubby for her. I watched our son hug and kiss her goodbye, and he made me wait until Madison's mother came to get her because Noah refused to leave. They sat together quietly at the table while they waited, putting a puzzle together. They were deep in conversation."

"Conversation? Really?" Meredith giggled.

"Okay, I don't know if there was conversation, but there was intense gazes between the two of them over the puzzle," Derek said.

Meredith gave him an amused look. "It looks like our son is a smitten kitten," she said, running her fingers through Noah's dark, curly hair. "And he's such a gentleman with the ladies. Must get it from his daddy," she winked at Derek.

"I told you the day he was born that he'd have women lined up. A Shepherd man knows how to treat the ladies. He got it honest." Derek gave her a cocky smile.

Meredith took a deep breath as she waited for her answer. She stood quietly looking down at the gadget in her hands…her shaking hands. In the next two minutes, her life could change forever. It was uncanny the way a little gadget could carry so much power in it depending what answer it gave.

Meredith paced the bathroom, covering up the display window with her palm. She couldn't look at it, her stomach was overcome with butterflies. _Okay, on the count of three I will flip it over and look at it_, she thought to herself. _One…Two…Two and a half…Two and three quarters…Three!_

She flipped it over and stared at it. The answer stared back at her, clear as day.

_Meredith looked at herself in the mirror as she got ready for dinner that night. She and Derek were going to their favorite restaurant, Le Jeune Chef, per Meredith's request. She planned to tell her husband that he was going to be a father tonight. They were going to be parents. They were going to be solely responsible for another human being. One that was half her and half him. _

_She eyed up her stomach wondering about the little life inside her. She knew that in the early weeks of pregnancy, the baby was doing the majority of it's development. Right now, the baby's limbs and brain were forming. At this point, it even had a heart beat. Meredith became excited at the thought of a baby. She wanted this…she really wanted this. She was married to the most wonderful man in the world. A man that she wanted nothing more than to give him a family. He would be ecstatic, positively thrilled. She placed her palm against her flat stomach and closed her eyes. She envisioned her husband's reaction to her news. The thought made her smile._

"_Mer, reservations are at seven!" Derek called up the steps. "We gotta move it!"_

"_I'll be right down," she called to him. She grabbed her sweater and left the room. She walked down the hall, passing four doors, two on either side of the hallway. Doors that led to empty rooms now, but would eventually be filled with their children._

Meredith squatted to Noah's level and motioned for him to come to her. He giggled and ran over to her, hugging her around the neck. She kissed him on the cheek and pulled back to look at him.

"I have a job for you, Noah," she whispered, tickling him in the side. Noah giggled. "Do you want to play Letter Carrier Kelly like on Elmo's World?" She asked him.

Noah's eyes lit up at the mention of Elmo. He clapped his hands excitedly and shook his head yes. Meredith smiled at him. "I want you to take this box to Daddy. He's in his office."

"O-tay," Noah took the box and ran out of the room. Meredith followed and watched Noah walk with the package into Derek's office. She stared at Derek's open office door, waiting nervously for Noah to return.

She watched as Derek appeared in the doorway. He was holding Noah and something in his free hand. He had a shocked expression on his face, but when he saw her facial expression the shock turned to delight. He gently put Noah on his feet, who toddled over to his toy box to search through his toys. Derek quickly walked over to her, picked her up in his arms and spun her around. He placed her back on the floor and looked deeply to her eyes, his blue eyes sparkling. "We're having a baby?" he asked incredulously.

Meredith nodded. "We're having a baby," she repeated. "Stock up on the potato chips and ice cream now, Der, you're in for another long ride."

Derek chuckled. "I loved every minute of you being pregnant and I am excited to do it again." He pulled her face to his and kissed her passionately.

Meredith pulled away breathlessly, "I'm holding you to your word, Daddy." 

**Pure Fluff. Hope you enjoyed. Leave me love!!**


	10. New Addition

**Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy is not mine.**

**Okay, Chapter 9 jumps ahead directly after the birth of Derek and Meredith's second son. I thought thoroughly about it and felt that I needed to switch gears in order for this story to go anywhere. I decided to give Derek and Meredith another son, well, because I felt bad for Derek. Here the guy is his entire life surrounded by estrogen with having a mom and four sisters. Darn it, I thought he was in need of some extra testosterone for once! Please read and enjoy!**

Chapter Nine:

Derek pointed into the nursery window, showing Noah where his baby brother slept.

"There's Cole, Noah. There's your little brother. See? He's sleeping," Derek spoke to Noah softly, watching his reaction to the news.

Noah gave him a disgruntled look. "No baby," he shook his head. "No brudder." Derek raised his eyebrows at him. This could be more challenging that he and Meredith had thought. They had spend the last four months of Meredith's pregnancy talking to Noah about how he was going to be a big brother, taking him to sibling preparation classes, and letting him help decorate his new bedroom so his baby brother or sister could move into the nursery.

Derek patted his butt gently. "Yes, Noah, you have a baby brother. His name is Cole. He loves you very much and he can't wait to play with you."

Noah looked at Derek like he lost his mind. "No, Daddy. Me no play. My toys." He frowned at his father. "Me want Mommy. Where me Mommy?" Derek sighed and looked into the nursery at Cole. Hopefully, this phase was temporary with Noah. It had to be.

Derek placed Noah on the ground and grabbed his hand, walking down the hall to Meredith's room. His two year old was definitely stubborn. Just like his mother.

Meredith's eyes lit up as she saw two of her three men walk into her room. Noah saw her and ran over to her bed, climbing the side and settling himself right beside her. "Hi, Mommy," he said. He snuggled next to her in her bed.

"Mer, I think we may have a slight problem," Derek informed her, coming to her and kissing her on the forehead. He motioned to Noah with his eyes when she looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" she mouthed to him over Noah's head.

Derek pointed to his stomach and mouthed "baby", shaking his head 'no".

Meredith set her mouth in the shape of an "o" like she understood what Derek was gesturing to her. She looked down at Noah, who was fiddling with the television remote. She ran her fingers through his dark curls. "Noah, did you see your new baby brother?" she asked him softly. Derek listened to the conversation as he sat down in the chair beside Meredith's bed.

"No," Noah replied. "No baby brudder."

Meredith and Derek exchanged concerned looks. "Did you see Cole?" Meredith asked him again.

"I say no," Noah replied shortly, giving Meredith an irritated look. The topic of his baby brother was apparently a touchy subject with him.

Derek cleared his throat. "Buddy, remember how Mommy and I talked to you about the baby that was growing in her belly and he would come out of her belly soon and be part of our family?" Noah looked at him curiously and nodded. Derek continued, "Cole came out of Mommy's belly and now we're going to take him home with us in a few days."

Noah's face became irritated again. "Baby stay here. I say so," he shook his head. Meredith looked at Derek with wide eyes. Derek gave her a helpless look.

"Somebody's hungry," a voice said suddenly. The nurse pushed Cole through the door in his basinet. Derek immediately got up and went to him. He smiled down at his new son who was the spitting image of his older brother. It was unbelievable how much Cole looked like Noah. Only, Cole's eyes weren't as blue as Noah's. One of the nurses had said that Cole's eyes would probably turn green. Green like his mother's. The same eyes that Derek could not say no to. He was doomed. Derek lifted Cole from his basinet and settled him against his chest. He was a bigger baby than Noah, weighing almost nine pounds. "Put him down!" Noah yelled from Meredith's bed, noticing Derek holding Cole. "Daddy, put him down!" he yelled. The nurse gave Derek and Meredith a sympathetic look.

"Someone is not happy about their new brother," she observed, looking at the angry expression of the two year old.

Meredith sighed. "I thought he'd be better than this, really. We thought we prepared him enough. I guess we were wrong."

The nurse chuckled. "He'll come around. It's a big adjustment being the center of Mommy's and Daddy's world one day and then sharing the spotlight the next."

Derek looked at Noah. "He still is the center of our world. But now his brother is in the center, too," he said softly, gazing at Cole, who was staring up at him. _Yep, green_, he thought. Cole suddenly began to fuss.

Noah snapped his head up to see why the baby was making noises. "He want his Mommy," Noah announced. Derek nodded as he carried Cole over to Meredith, gently placing him in her arms. "Yep, Buddy, Cole wanted his Mommy," Derek ran his hand over Noah's head.

Noah looked at Meredith in shock. "You my Mommy," he informed her.

Meredith nodded. "Yes, Noah, I'm your Mommy, and Daddy and I love you very, very much. We love Cole, too. Will you share me and Daddy with Cole? He needs a mommy and a daddy, too."

Noah frowned for a moment, looking at Cole. Derek watched him as he processed what Meredith had said to him.

"Okay, you be his mommy," he pointed a chubby finger at her. Noah then turned and pointed at Derek. "You be his daddy." He pointed at Cole, "but he no play with my toys."

"_Derek! Look at me!" Meredith exclaimed, coming out of the bathroom. He looked up from the article he was reading. His eyes got huge. They were back! Meredith's pregnant boobs were back. Oh, God, how he missed them!_

"_Looking," Derek said, his eyes never leaving her chest, becoming aroused as Meredith stood in front of him in only her panties. "What's the problem?"_

_Meredith exhaled loudly and motioned to her swollen breasts. "Look at my boobs already!"_

_Derek nodded. "I am looking at them. They are amazing. Can I keep them?" he joked. _

_Meredith glared at him as she sat on the bed. "I am twelve weeks pregnant, Derek. I have the boobs now that I had when I was nursing Noah. What is going on?" she sighed, flopping back on the bed. Derek groaned inwardly as his erection became as hard as a rock._

"_It means that your body is getting prepared to feed a baby," He said as he stared at his wife's chest._

_Meredith turned her head to look at him. "Derek, they were never this big this soon before. What the hell is going on?" she demanded. _

"_God apparently loves me," Derek said smugly, moving down the bed to snuggle up next to her. "He wants me to be happy," He moved his hand up her stomach to gently massage her breast. Meredith rolled her eyes at him. _

"_Derek Shepherd, I am not in the mood to have sex," she informed him, fighting her desire for him that was currently overwhelming her body. Derek positioned himself so that he laid on top of her, taking one of her sensitive nipples in his mouth. He watched her reaction as he sucked gently. She jumped and shivered at his movements and moaned in pleasure. _

"_How about now?" he scooted up to kiss her fully on the mouth. "You in the mood now?" he murmured._

"_Hmmm, no, not interested," she replied with her eyes closed. She couldn't look into his eyes for fear she would lose all self control. She ran her fingers through his hair._

_Derek moved back to his previous position, paying attention to her other breast, softly sucking on the nipple. Meredith's moaning intensified and she scraped her fingernails over his scalp. Derek stopped for a moment to relish the feeling. He loved it when she did that. He kissed the skin in between her breasts and slowly upwards towards her lips. He pressed his lips to hers in another kiss. _

"_How about now?" he asked her again, sucking on her bottom lip. He kissed his way from her lips, to her neck, and to the sensitive spot under her ear. He sucked lightly on her earlobe and moved his hand between her legs, pushing aside the lacy fabric to rub her clit. She was wet and ready._

"_Oh, God…no," she moaned, running her fingernails up and down his back. " No, I have to fix my boob problem," she breathed. "I don't want to have sex."_

"_Hmm…from what I can feel, I think you do. We can fix your boob problem after we fix my problem." He positioned his erection to her center, showing her what problem he was referring to. Meredith opened her mouth to protest, but Derek covered her mouth with his hand. He kissed and licked her neck up to her ear. "I need you now, Mer. I need you in the worst way. I need to feel you, baby, please," he whispered huskily in her ear. _

_Meredith grabbed his hand and moved it from her mouth. "You are completely incorrigible," she complained, giving into him by reaching at the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head. _

"_See what happens when you make me look at your boobs?" he teased, kissing her passionately._

"Another boy?" Carolyn exclaimed into the phone. "That is wonderful!"

"I know, I thought for sure it was going to be a girl. Mer's pregnancy was completely different this time around." Derek smiled.

"How is Meredith? Did everything go well?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes, everything went fine. She was in labor for about six hours. She did amazing. She's resting now." Derek answered. "He weighed almost nine pounds. He's a big boy. He's wonderful, Mom, I can't believe how much he looks like Noah."

Carolyn chuckled. "And what did we name the newest Shepherd?"

"Cole Derek Shepherd. Mark says that it sounds like a soap opera name. You got Mer addicted to those you know."

Carolyn laughed, "Yes, I know and what a beautiful name! How is Noah about his new brother?" She asked.

Derek sighed, "It been rough, Mom. We thought we had prepared him for Cole. At first he got really mad when we would tell him that Cole was ours. Mer finally asked him it was okay that we were now Cole's Mommy and Daddy, too".

"Sounds like you have a brilliant wife, dear."

Derek nodded, "My wife is amazing. We're still a little concerned. Noah won't even look at the baby and I have to take him out of the room when Mer nurses. He gets very upset."

"With time it will get easier. Sharing the attention is a big change for him. He needs time and you need to give it to him." Carolyn advised him. "I will be there on Saturday. That will give you enough time to get Meredith and Cole home and settled. I can't wait to see everyone. Tell everyone I love them and I'll see them soon."

"I'll call you Friday. We love you, too. Noah is anxiously awaiting his Grandma Shepherd's arrival."

Carolyn laughed. "I can't wait. Congratulations, Derek, you have a beautiful family."

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Such a tragedy," Mark announced, peering into Cole's bassinet. He had stopped by between consults to check out the newest Shepherd. Derek walked up behind him to look at his son.

"What's a tragedy?" Derek asked.

"I can't believe that you did it again," Mark said.

"Did what?" Derek asked.

"Cloned yourself," Mark answered, "It's such a tragedy. Thank God luck was on Noah's side and he got Grey's nose, but Cole? Cole I'm not so sure. I think he may look even more like you."

Derek groaned. "Shut up, Mark."

"Seriously, you must have mega DNA or something. It's uncanny how much these kids look like you." Mark looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Derek smirked.

"What will be scary is if you have a girl. A female version of you would be freaky," he shivered at the thought. Then he smirked, "There's always plastic surgery."

"Shut up, Mark," Meredith said from her bed where she and Noah were coloring. "She will be beautiful no matter what she looks like."

Cole started to awake when he heard his mother's voice. He began fussing and put his fist in his mouth. Derek looked up at Meredith. "Is it time for him to eat?" he asked.

Meredith looked at the clock and nodded, putting crayons back into the box. "You'll need to take N-O-A-H out of the room," she informed him.

Derek nodded. "Noah, want to go down to the cafeteria and get a salad?" Derek asked him.

Noah's eyes lit up. He loved eating salads. Definitely Derek's child. "Yay! I hungry!" Mark picked him up off the bed and tickled him. Noah giggled and squeezed his nose. "Honk! Honk!" Mark said with each squeeze. Noah giggled more.

Derek picked up Cole and placed him in his mother's arms, kissing his forehead. "See you later, Budd,." he said softly. He leaned in to kiss Meredith softly. "Okay, kids, lets go," he said sarcastically to Mark and Noah. Derek walked to the door and Mark followed, carrying Noah.

"Why do you do that?" Derek asked as they walked down the hall.

"What?" Mark asked.

"Torment me about the nose thing?" Derek asked.

"Man, have you seen your nose?" Mark joked.

"I had a perfectly good nose until I met you, Mark."

"Excuses, excuses. I call them like I see them," Mark said.

Derek gave him a frustrated look and Mark stopped suddenly. Mark shifted Noah to his other arm and placed his free one on Derek's shoulder. "Look, man, don't think I'm being all sentimental but I'm happy for you."

Derek smirked, "You're happy for me? Those words came from the mouth of Mark Sloan? Is the world coming to an end?"

"Shut up," Mark retorted. "Anyway, back to what I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. You have a great family, Shepherd, one that anyone would be envious of. I've never seen you this happy. You have the life." Mark said seriously.

Derek gave him a incredulous look. "Thanks, Mark," he said finally, nodding. "My family means the world to me. Thanks for that."

Mark nodded, "I hope someday I can have what you have. You know, the wife, house," he reached up to tickle Noah's stomach. Noah giggled. "The kids. Congratulations, you lucky bastard."

"Aw, that was sweet," Derek replied sarcastically. "Now I'm all warm and fuzzy inside."

"_Welcome to McDonalds, how can I help you?" said the voice from the speaker at the drive thru. _

"_Hi, I would like a number one, super sized, with extra pickles and no mayo. I would also like a…" Derek turned to Meredith, forgetting what else she wanted. _

"_An Oreo McFlurry, Derek!" Meredith hissed. "With extra Oreos. Make sure they use chocolate ice cream and not vanilla," she ordered. _

"_Seriously?" Derek asked her, wide eyed. His wife's cravings had intensified with her second pregnancy. Meredith nodded her head in exasperation._

_Derek cleared his throat and turned back towards the speaker, "I need an Oreo McFlurry with extra Oreos and please use chocolate ice cream." He looked over and smiled at his wife, who was sitting up in her seat, anticipating her food. _

"_Ask if they can give you a happy meal toy," she told him. "For Noah. Minus the happy meal." Noah disliked McDonalds food, a trait Derek had instilled in him. _

"_He doesn't need a happy meal toy, Mer. He's fine." Derek said as he pulled his car forward to pay. _

"_That will be seven eighty seven, sir," the cashier prompted. She peered in the car and noticed Meredith. _

"_Hi, Mary," Meredith greeted the McDonalds worker._

"_Hey, Meredith! Geez, I should have known it was your order when I heard the extra Oreos and chocolate ice cream with a McFlurry. You didn't order it so it kinda threw me off. Is this the hubby?" Mary leaned out the window._

"_Yep, this is the husband. The other person responsible for the cutest kid in the world. Derek, this is Mary." Meredith told him._

_Derek reached his hand out the window. "Nice to meet you, Mary."_

"_Same to you. Hey, Meredith, the next time you order just give your name. We know exactly what you order and it will just be easier. You are our favorite customer, you know." Mary smiled and winked at Derek._

_Meredith nodded and smiled. "Will do. See you later." She waved goodbye to Mary as Derek pulled the car forward to the next window. _

_He turned to her with an amused look. "You're on a first name basis with the McDonald's employees? How often do you come here?" he asked._

_Meredith looked at him impatiently. "I don't know, Der, like three times a week. Why?"_

_Derek continued to look at her in amusement but didn't say anything. He knew better._

_He stopped the car at the second window to pick up Meredith's food. The worker handed Derek the McFlurry and the food bag. The worker peered in the car at Meredith. _

"_Hi Pete!" Meredith called._

"_Hey, Meredith. Mary told us it was you, so we put a toy in the bag for Noah. Have a good day!"_

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

Derek walked into Meredith's hospital room with Noah, who ran excitedly over to his mother who was packing the rest of her things to go home. Cole was sleeping peacefully in his basinet, bundled up and ready to go home. Noah attached himself to her leg and squeezed her tightly. "Mommy, you come home aday?" he asked.

Meredith gingerly squatted to look him in the eyes. "Yep, handsome, Mommy is coming home today."

Noah looked over at Cole. He pointed his finger at him, "We take him home?" he asked skeptically.

Meredith nodded. "Yep, Cole is coming home with us. Are you going to show him his new room?" she asked.

Noah looked at his father and then at his mother. "Not today," he said.

Meredith looked up at Derek and smiled. Derek held back a laugh. Their two year old was certainly comical. Derek walked over to Noah and picked him up. "Noah, Cole will be coming home with us because he is a part of our family now. He will sleep in the room that you used to sleep in. The baby room. Remember Mommy and Daddy talked to you about that?"

Noah played with Derek's hair. "Yes," he replied.

"Cole needs his big brother to show him how to play. He's little right now, so he will sleep and eat a lot, but pretty soon he'll be bigger and he can play with you. Would you like that?"

"I guess," Noah responded.

Derek put him down on the floor. "Good, then you can be Daddy's big man and help him carry stuff to the car." Derek handed Noah some of Meredith's items that would be light enough for him to carry. Derek grabbed Meredith's overnight bag and the vase of flowers from the table.

The nurse came in with a wheelchair, ready to push Meredith and Cole out to the car. Derek turned to Meredith, "You okay?" he asked, coming towards her to help her into the wheelchair. The nurse picked up Cole from the basinet and handed him to Meredith. Derek leaned in and kissed Cole's forehead and then Meredith's lips.

Meredith nodded, looking up at him. "I'm okay, let's go home."

**Reviews make my day. Please leave me one…or two…or five :)**


	11. Baby Blues

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. However, I do own Noah and Cole Shepherd in my story.**_

_**Okay, I will warn you up front about this chapter. It's not fluffy, at least not until the end. This chapter, however, does make Meredith and Derek's marriage stronger. If you also noticed, I changed the caption of this story to "A MerDer story," instead of "MerDer fluff". I will always write fluff when it comes to this couple, but I also want to write in a realistic sense. This chapter is definitely realistic and I am very proud of it. So, if you want to skip this chapter because of the lack of fluffiness, please do so. There will be more fluff in the later chapters. ENJOY!!**_

**Chapter Ten:**

Meredith sighed in relief as Derek pulled the car into the garage. It had been a stressful ride for everyone on the way home from the hospital. Derek had to pull over even before they made it to the ferry boat because Cole had been crying and could not be comforted with Meredith's soft words to him. Noah had gotten rather agitated that his brother was already disrupting his usually peaceful car ride and he expressed it verbally. "Hey baby! You shush!" he yelled at his brother from his car seat beside Cole's. Noah's particularly loud voice startled Cole more and he cried harder.

Derek had scolded Noah for yelling at his brother, causing him to pout. Derek had pulled over so Meredith could feed him. Cole wouldn't latch on and would turn his head away screaming when Meredith offered him her breast. She tried burping him, but he continued to cry. Finally, Derek had remembered that he had put a pacifier that the nurses give all the new babies in the diaper bag. Noah had never used one, but Derek had put it in the bag as a precaution. His sisters had used pacifiers with their kids and swore by them. Cole had finally calmed down with the pacifier's help and fell asleep.

Derek looked at Meredith after he stopped the car. His blue eyes were filled with concern. "You okay?" he asked.

Meredith turned to him and nodded. "Yeah," she said weakly. "When is your mom going to be here?" she asked him.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Derek replied.

"Okay, that's good," she said softly, staring blankly out the window.

"Come on, Cole, please sweetie. Eat for Mommy," she said softly to Cole as she sat in the recliner in the living room. It was time for him to eat, but every time she offered him her breast, he would turn his face away and cry. Meredith sighed in frustration. She quickly grabbed his pacifier from the car seat and put it in his mouth. Cole whimpered softly and slowly started to suck. He looked around the room in discontent.

Derek walked into the room and came over to Meredith. He kissed her forehead, noticing the frustrated expression in her face. "He's not eating?" he asked. Meredith shook her head. "Does he have gas?" he asked.

Meredith shrugged her shoulders. "Not sure. I'll try again in a few minutes once he calms down. If he doesn't eat, what are we going to do?" she asked him.

Derek looked at Cole for a moment thoughtfully. "Maybe you could pump and put it in a bottle?" he suggested. Meredith nodded at the idea. They watched him silently for a few minutes. Meredith took the pacifier out of Cole's mouth and tried nursing him again. Cole latched on, but immediately turned his head and started to cry. Meredith switched sides, but Cole continued to scream. She looked at Derek for help. Derek lifted Cole out of Meredith's arms. "Go and get the pump and we'll try that," he told her.

"Look, Daddy! A pane!" Noah yelled, pointing to one of the airplanes that was getting ready to take off on the runway. Derek had brought Noah with him to pick up his mother at the airport and had asked Izzie to come over to the house to sit with Meredith. Cole's colic made Meredith stressed and he wanted someone there with her in the event that she needed help.

Derek smiled as he saw his mother emerge from the runway. She spotted them and smiled brightly, waving her hand. She caught a glimpse of what her two year old grandson was wearing. Noah was dressed in a Yankee's baseball cap, faded Levi jeans and a t-shirt that said, "I Love Grandma."

Noah ran to Carolyn and wrapped his arms around her legs. "Hi, Gamma," he said. "Me missed you". Carolyn knelt down to give Noah a big hug and a kiss.

"I missed you, too, sweet pea. You've gotten so big. How's that new brother of yours?" she asked him.

Noah frowned," Dat baby cry all da time," he said grumpily. "He cry den my Mommy cry."

Carolyn looked up at Derek with a concerned expression. Carolyn looked back at Noah and poked him on the chest gently. "Look at that shirt!" she exclaimed. "Did you wear that shirt just for me?"

Noah looked down at his shirt and shrugged. "Sure," he responded.

Carolyn stood up to hug Derek. "Good to see you, Mom," Derek said, kissing her cheek. They started walking towards the luggage pick-up.

"How is Meredith?" Carolyn asked.

Derek sighed, "I don't know, Mom." he said.

"You don't know? What's wrong with her?" Carolyn prompted.

Derek thought for a moment. "She's not bouncing back as well as she did after having Noah. Cole is colicky and won't breastfeed. Going from a perfectly content baby to one that cries all the time is an adjustment. For all of us. She's definitely overwhelmed."

Carolyn looked at him sympathetically. "Well, Grandma is here now. Hopefully I can be of help."

_Meredith was exhausted. Chasing after a two year old and being six months pregnant was catching up with her. She rolled into bed and snatched the television remote from Derek, who was watching the news. She flipped through the channels until she found what program she was looking for. "Ooh! Supernanny's on!" She settled back against her pillow with her arms behind her head._

_Derek looked at her in shock. "Mer, I was watching the news," he protested. _

_Meredith ignored him. "This is the episode with the single mom who has six kids. Six kids! That's like the Brady Bunch minus Mike Brady," she giggled. _

"_And Alice ," Derek added as he reached over quickly to snatch the remote back. "It's a rerun, Mer. There's no such thing as rerun news." He proceeded to change the channel back to what he was watching. _

_Meredith grabbed the remote from him again. "I have been watching Elmo all freaking day, Derek. I watch it so often that I catch myself singing the Elmo's World song in my head. Do you know how annoying that is? I loathe the furry red monster that puts our son in his happy place." Meredith moved the remote so Derek couldn't reach it. _

_Derek leaned over to rub her stomach and kiss it. "Your mother is dramatic," he murmured to her stomach, "we still love her a lot, but she is a drama queen." Derek quickly reached across Meredith and grabbed the remote back. He leaned back against his pillow and smirked at her. _

_Meredith rubbed her stomach and glared at him. "Baby, your mommy might be a drama queen, but your dad is an overly moussed, overly egotistical, stupid brain man." She smirked back at him, pleased with herself._

_Derek let out a fake gasp. Then he smiled widely as he held up the remote and wiggled it, reminding her of who retained possession. "I may be an overly moussed and overly egotistical brain man, but do I need to remind you who currently has the remote?" He laughed loudly._

"_I said stupid, Derek, stupid brain man," she quickly pounced on him, sitting on his stomach. "Give me my remote, now, or else"._

"_Or else what?" Derek challenged. "Your empty threats don't scare me woman. Actually, they turn me on. Makes me want to rip your clothes off and have my way with you." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, running his free hand up and down her thigh, tightly clutching the remote with the other._

_Meredith giggled. Her husband always had a high libido, but since her pregnancy it went off the charts. His mind was constantly in the gutter and he couldn't keep his hands off of her. _

"_You think you're getting sex from me?" she asked. "I think not." She leaned in to kiss him on his neck. "Not interested," she whispered, licking her way up to his ear. Derek groaned loudly, dropping the remote in order to place both hands on her ass. _

_Meredith reached over and grabbed the abandoned remote. She giggled loudly and rolled off of him, leaving him with a tent in his pants and a baffled expression. "Now, back to my show," she said, settling back into the pillows. _

_Derek sighed defeat and moved over to lay his head on her stomach. He whispered to her stomach, but loud enough for her to hear it. "Okay, is now a good time to beg you to come out a boy? Please be a boy because I don't think your Daddy can handle two of your Mommy." He winced as he felt Meredith whack him on the head with his pillow._

Izzie walked into the kitchen holding Cole when Derek and his mother arrived home. Noah was sound asleep in his father's arms. "Hi, Mrs. Shepherd. I'm Izzie Stevens, I work with Dr. Shepherd and Meredith at the hospital. We met awhile ago, but you probably don't remember me."

Carolyn smiled, walking up to her newest grandchild who was sucking hard on his pacifier. "Of course I remember you, Izzie. Nice to see you again. Now, this must be Cole." She reached over to grab her grandson out of Izzie's arms. "Look at you, handsome. You look just like your brother, yes you do." She walked into the living room, quietly talking to Cole.

Izzie gave Derek a concerned look. "Um, Dr. Shepherd," she started.

Derek interrupted, "Iz, it's Derek. We're not at the hospital."

"Right, sorry. Anyway, Derek, I'm a little concerned about Mer. I mean she seems so down and not as happy as she was when Noah was born."

Derek nodded in agreement, "Yes, Iz, I've noticed that, too. Where is my wife?"

"She went upstairs shortly after you left. She said she wanted to lie down because she was tired. I checked on her once and she was asleep." Izzie twirled her hair thoughtfully. "I think she may be a little postpartum."

Derek nodded. "I'll keep an eye on her. Mom's here now so she'll be a big help. We'll help her get through this."

Izzie nodded. "If you need me for anything, please call." Derek gave her a small smile and nodded. "By the way, Derek, congratulations. You have a beautiful family."

"Thanks, Iz." Derek showed Izzie out and carried Noah upstairs. He laid Noah in his bed and walked down the hall to his room. He could hear his mother talking to Cole in the nursery. He quietly opened the door and saw Meredith lying on her side of the bed asleep. He kicked his shoes off and crawled in bed beside her, spooning up against her and breathing in her scent. He put his arm securely around her.

"Where's your mom?" she asked softly.

"Hey, I thought you were sleeping. She's with Cole and Noah is taking a nap. Go back to sleep, Mer." He moved a little closer to her.

"Can't, I have to pump soon." She turned to look at him. Derek noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Meredith inhaled sharply, trying to hold back tears. "My…my baby doesn't like me," tears filled her eyes and trailed down her cheeks.

Derek wiped her tears and pulled her into his chest. "Cole loves you, Mer. Why would you think he didn't love you? You're his Mommy." He rubbed his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion.

"He doesn't, Derek. I can't even feed him. He doesn't want me, he doesn't want to nurse. He'd rather drink from a stupid bottle. I'm a horrible mother!" She started sobbing uncontrollably. Derek held her for a minute before he spoke.

"You are a wonderful mother, Meredith. When I pick Noah up from daycare, the first thing he asks me is where his Mommy is. When you were in the hospital with Cole, he wouldn't go to sleep so I had to give him your pillow. You kids adore you, Mer. You are not a horrible mother." Derek ran his fingers through her hair, listening to her hiccups.

"Mer, maybe Cole senses that you are stressed out, so it stresses him out." He offered. "Remember that episode of Supernanny that you made me watch? All those kids misbehaved because their mom was stressed out." Meredith looked up at him quizzically. "Seriously, yeah, then she went with friends and got one of those foot rub things and got her eyebrows waxed and she was all set. It was called finding balance or something."

"Derek, you are referencing Supernanny to me." Meredith stated. "Really?" She gave him a small smile.

"I am growing as a person, Mer." He winked at her. "I found my mojo."

Meredith rolled her eyes and smiled. Derek rubbed his thumb along her cheek. Meredith's smile was amazing.

"Do you want to come downstairs and catch up with mom?" he asked her. Meredith shook her head. "I will in awhile. Can you just…just hold me? I need your arms around me." she said softly.

Derek nodded, kissing her forehead. "I can definitely do that," he said, pulling her tightly into his arms. "I love you, Meredith," he whispered in her ear. "And I'm here for you."

"Do you really think that Sharon and Nick are going to get back together?" Meredith asked Carolyn as they sat watching The Young and the Restless.

Carolyn shook her head, "Not if Phyllis has anything to do with it. The woman is crazy."

"Well, if the baby is Nick's he will leave her to be with Sharon," Meredith assumed.

Carolyn nodded. "I've always thought that Nick and Sharon should be together. Then something happens and they break up and have illegitimate children with other people and need paternity tests," She sighed.

"Hmm," Meredith looked at Cole who was sound asleep in his grandmother's arms, "I think I'm definitely going to need a paternity test on my two. They look nothing like their father," she joked.

Carolyn laughed. "My son cannot deny these kids. Its astounding how much they look like him." Cole suddenly stirred and woke.

Meredith looked at the clock. "It's time for him to eat. I'll get his bottle." She sighed as she walked into the kitchen and got the bottle out of the fridge. Meredith missed having the connection with Cole as she did with Noah when she nursed. She couldn't figure out why her son didn't want her.

She walked back into the room and handed Carolyn the bottle. Even though Cole wouldn't breastfeed, he wouldn't take the bottle if she was feeding it to him either. It was apparent that she wasn't one of his favorite people. She watched him sadly as he gulped down the bottle.

"I up," Noah announced, coming down the stairs from taking his nap. "Time to play. Gamma, you play with me?" he asked. Carolyn looked at her grandson and laughed.

"What do you want to play, Noah?" she asked him.

"I be Melmo and you be Big Bird," he told her.

Carolyn gave Meredith a puzzled look. "How do we play that?" she asked.

Meredith shrugged, "Pretty much, you follow him around and do what he says. When Derek plays it with him, he calls the game 'Noah being Meredith'," Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Let's go, Gamma," Noah said, pulling Carolyn's finger. Carolyn handed Cole to Meredith and got up. Meredith smiled as she watched her two year old pull Derek's mother down the hall. She looked down at Cole, who was looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Hello, Mommy's little man," she said softy, molding him into her more. She took a moment to look over him. He was a beautiful baby. Meredith watched as Cole's face began to turn beet red and he began to scream. She could feel her arms tense up as she panicked, not knowing what was wrong with him.

She stood up and walked him around the room whispering in his ear and patting his back. The motions did not soothe him and he screamed louder. Meredith could feel the tears start filling her eyes as she placed the screaming baby in his basinet and walked away.

_Meredith pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and looked at who was texting her. It was Derek. __**The flag is at full staff and has been there all morning**__: the text said. _

_She giggled and texted him back: __**Sounds like you have a problem. **__She giggled again when she read his reply: __**Yes, people are giving me looks. On call room in five? **__Meredith could feel herself blushing. She was flattered that she turned her husband on so much. Since she became pregnant the second time, her husband seemed to have inherited all of the sexual cravings that were hers when she was pregnant with Noah. Her husband's desire for her was very flattering. It made her feel beautiful, especially since she was all fat and pregnant. She decided to play with him a little._

_**Can't now, doing charts**__: she texted back. Almost immediately, Derek responded: __**Charts can wait, I can't. Please? **__Meredith looked up from her phone when she saw Cristina coming up towards her. _

"_What did you do?" Cristina asked._

"_Nothing, why?" Meredith asked._

"_Because you're smiling like you're up to something," Cristina responded._

_Meredith laughed, "Derek is on a horny rampage again. He's harassing me by text messages to have sex with him."_

_Cristina rolled her eyes, "Charming. What is his problem? You'd swear he was the one who was pregnant with his raging hormones." _

"_I'm not complaining. It's actually flattering. It makes me feel better about my fat self."_

_Cristina smirked at her. "Mer, you are not fat. You are pregnant. And you're cute when you're pregnant. If I was into girl on girl, I'd have sex with you," Cristina's cheeks flushed red when she saw Meredith's eyebrows arch. "Let's pretend I didn't say that out loud."_

"_I'm flattered, Cristina, really." Meredith giggled and sighed, "Unfortunately, I like my husband's penis too much." _

_Cristina frowned, "Well, I think your husband's penis is growing rather impatient," she pointed at Meredith's lab coat pocket where her phone had been vibrating since she walked up. "We can't have McDreamy exploding from the pressure," she snickered at her joke. She turned to walk away but looked back at Meredith, "Make sure you two change the sheets when you're done." _

_Meredith watched Cristina walk away and felt her phone vibrate again. She giggled when she saw that her husband had sent her five text messages in three minutes: __**Hello, you there?**__; __**I'm your boss, your boss is telling you to meet him in the on call room; Disobeying him can lead to disciplinary action; I may need to give you a spanking; Horny husband, Mer. Denying your man of his needs is cruel. **__By the time Meredith got through his texts, she was laughing so hard she was crying. Staff walking by looked at her curiously. _

_She typed into her phone: __**Be there in five, boss. **__She put her phone in her pocket and headed towards the on-call room where her boss was waiting. Cristina's words from when they were interns resurfaced in her head. She giggled at her thought. Yep, nothing good ever comes out of sleeping with your boss._

Derek walked into the house that evening and saw Noah and his mother coloring at the kitchen table. Derek sat his briefcase down and walked towards them. Noah looked up from what he was coloring, "Hi, Daddy!" he yelled. "Mommy cry today."

Derek looked at his mother, who was looking back at him sympathetically. Derek walked into the living room and his mother followed.

He turned to look at her and sighed. "What happened?" he asked.

Carolyn took a deep breath. "Cole got colicky again this afternoon and Meredith couldn't calm him down. She put him down and went outside. It really upset her."

Derek nodded slowly. "Is Cole okay? Did he calm down for you?" he asked.

Carolyn nodded. "After he threw up his entire bottle. Derek, " she paused. "I don't want you to think that I'm overstepping my boundaries, but I think that Cole may have an allergy of some kind."

"Allergy?" Derek asked.

"Yes, something that Meredith is eating that Cole gets through her breast milk. I've noticed a pattern with his colic and it seems to happen after he eats. And his dirty diapers are somewhat runny. I had a similar experience with you when you were a baby and you were allergic to milk products. You eventually grew out of it."

Derek thought for a moment. "Mer does eat a lot of milk products," he agreed. "Maybe that's the problem. I'll talk with her about it and see what she thinks."

Derek found Meredith sitting on the swing on the front porch, staring at their view of Seattle. The air was chilly, so her arms were wrapped tightly around her body. She didn't look up when he moved beside her. Derek took off his fleece jacket and wrapped it around her.

Meredith looked up at him surprised. "Hey," she said softly, turning her gaze back to the view.

"Hey," he responded, sitting down beside her and kissing her cheek. "Mom told me what happened," he said softly.

Meredith scoffed and rolled her eyes. "She told you that I am the worst mother in the history of mothers, or whatever," Meredith retorted.

"No. No she didn't. You are not the worst mother in the history of mothers." he said.

She turned her head quickly to glare at him. "Yes, Derek, I am," she said bitterly.

Derek inched a little closer to her. "Give me one good reason why that statement would be true," he asked.

Her glare turned into sadness and Derek could see the tears falling from her eyes. "Because, Derek, I have the most amazing life. I have two of the most beautiful children and an amazing husband, and a mother in law who flew across the country to help me and I don't even want to go inside and be a part of it, that's why! " Meredith put her face in Derek's shoulder as she sobbed. He held her for a moment, relieved that his wife had opened up to him. He ran his fingers through her hair silently until the sobbing stopped.

He finally pulled away and made her look at him.

"Meredith, you are not a bad mother. You are a terrific mother. Do I need to remind you again of the way your kids look at you? They adore you."

Meredith sniffed, "Cole doesn't adore me. He hates me. He screams every time I hold him." She started to cry again.

"Meredith, Cole screams when I hold him. He screams when Mom holds him. It's not just you." Derek protested. "He has colic. Which reminds me. Mom said something about him maybe having an allergy."

Meredith looked at him. "Allergy?" She repeated.

Derek nodded. "Apparently, I was a carbon copy of my son with the screaming until my mom figured out I was allergic to milk. So, she stopped eating milk products and I turned into an angel. I haven't changed much," he joked, giving her a wide smile.

Meredith rolled her eyes at her husband. "So that means I stop eating milk products or we switch him to formula?" she asked,

Derek eyed his wife's chest for a moment. "If you're asking me my opinion, I would prefer that you stop eating milk products, because I will get colicky if you lose your breasts."

Meredith opened her eyes when she heard Cole crying from his basinet. She looked over at Derek, who was sound asleep. She quietly got out of bed, walked over and looked in his basinet. He looked up at his mother while he sucked on his pacifier. The past few weeks, Meredith had avoided milk products and Cole's colic resolved completely. He was actually a happy baby once they figured out what was wrong with him. He still wasn't nursing, but would take her milk from a bottle.

Meredith smiled at him and picked him up out of his crib. "You stinky boy, you need your diaper changed." she whispered to him softly. She carried him to his room and laid him on the changing table. She smiled at him noticing that his eyes never left her face.

She picked him up and kissed his forehead. "You hungry?" she asked him. She glanced momentarily at the rocking chair that faced the window where she had nursed Noah. With Cole, the chair had not been used once.

Meredith glanced at him and slowly walked over to the chair. She settled him in her lap and held him so that he was facing her. "I know we didn't get off to the best start, you and me. I'm really sorry that I lost my patience with you all those times and didn't understand that you weren't feeling well. I hope you'll giveme a second chance." she smiled as she watched Cole study her face, almost as if he understood every word she said. She took the pacifier from his mouth and Cole gave her a smile that made her heart melt.

She reached under her shirt to unclasp the front of her nursing bra. She moved him closer to her and lifted her shirt. She adjusted him so that he could latch on correctly. He sucked for a few moments and then stopped. Meredith waited for him to pull away. Instead, he sucked more, drawing more milk into his mouth with each suck. Meredith looked down at him in shock. Cole was finally nursing. A wave of relief washed over her and she felt tears stinging in her eyes.

"Everything okay in here?" Derek asked from the doorway. Meredith looked up at her husband and smiled at him. Derek was sporting a bad case of bed head.

"Everything is great," she said, motioning to Cole.

Derek got a huge smile on his face. "He's finally doing it," he said, walking into the room and kneeling beside the chair. He watched his son in awe as he ran his hand over his head. "And man is he going to town." He looked up at Meredith and noticed tears in her eyes.

What?" he asked.

Meredith wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I wouldn't have made it without you, Derek. These past few weeks have been hell for me. I was ready to go postal, I swear." She ran her fingers through his hair to flatten it. "I love you and I realized that as long as I have you, I can do anything." She pulled his face to hers to kiss him. "I just wanted you to know that."

Derek smiled and kissed her again. "I told you I was here for you. Always, Meredith. Even when we're old and smelly. I'm in this for life."

Meredith laughed. "Me, too. For life." Derek leaned in to kiss her deeply.

He looked down at Cole after the kiss ended and laughed when he saw that his son was still going to town with his meal. "Yep, the boy is definitely a Shepherd."

**A little long, but I hope everyone enjoyed. Lots of comments make me smile!**


	12. Call Me Mom

_Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy._

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

"Hello, may I speak with Meredith, please?" A familiar voice said into the phone when Meredith picked up.

"This is Meredith. Derek? Is that you?" she asked, holding Cole in one arm.

"Yeah, this is Derek Shepherd. How are you, Meredith?" Derek asked.

Meredith giggled. "I'm doing fine, as fine as when you left for work this morning," she caught Carolyn's eyes and mouthed "Derek" to her. Carolyn rolled her eyes and smiled in response.

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked. "Why are you acting weird?" Meredith sat down at the table, making faces at Cole, who smiled at her.

"Weird? I don't think I'm acting weird. I just wanted to tell you that I think you're beautiful. I wanted to ask you out tonight," he said.

Meredith giggled again, "Hmm," she said, playing along with his game, "Derek, you are aware that I'm married, right?" she asked.

Derek nodded, "Yeah, so?"

"So? I am madly in love with my husband," Meredith said.

Derek sighed, "That's too bad. I had a wonderful evening planned for the two of us. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, conversation, lots of kissing and touching," he said. "Then I planned to take you back to my place for dessert."

"I have kids," she protested.

"Yes, I know, adorable kids," Derek agreed. "Get a babysitter. I know a nice lady who's in town from New York ."

"Hmm, well, my husband is insanely jealous. He would freak out knowing that I was going out with you." Meredith teased.

"So, don't tell him." Derek said. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, I've seen him around. He's got nothing on me."

Meredith nodded, "You definitely have better hair than he does."

"That's what I'm saying," Derek replied. "Pick you up at eight?"

"You are very persistent," Meredith observed.

"I am. I know what I want and I want you. I can't stop thinking about you. The way you smell, your laugh, just looking at you makes my heart race," Derek said.

"You smell me? So, you're one of those weirdo stalker men who smell women?" Meredith asked.

"No, not a weirdo stalker. I'm just in love with you. Eight o'clock?" he asked.

"Okay, eight it is. I'm looking forward to it. Oh, and Derek, don't tell my husband this, but I think I'm in love with you too. Bye." Meredith hung up the phone and looked at her mother in law. "Whatever your son is on, I want some of it."

"_You look gorgeous, Meredith," Derek said for the umpteenth time that evening as they sat with their hands intertwined at the 35th__ Street Bistro, a popular restaurant in Seattle. "And you smell amazing," he said, leaning into her and softly kissing her cheek._

_Meredith laughed. "Weirdo stalker," she taunted. _

_Derek chuckled, "I only stalk one woman," he admitted._

"_I missed you," she said softly, rubbing her thumb over the top of his hand. "It's hard to think that I start back to work next week." Meredith sighed. _

_Derek squeezed her hand. "I missed you, too. And you'll be fine. Cole will be with his big brother in daycare. Noah will watch out for him." He looked at her sympathetically._

_Meredith nodded, "I know, it's still hard. Der, they're growing up so fast." _

_Derek nodded, smiling at her. "I got you something," he said._

"_You got me something?" Meredith repeated. "What did you get me?"_

"_Well, I technically didn't get it for you, Noah and Cole did?" Derek explained._

_Meredith smiled brightly, "My boys got me something?" she asked excitedly._

"_Yep," Derek reached in is pocket, presenting Meredith with a velvet jewelry box._

_Meredith smiled as she picked up the box and opened the top. She gasped when she saw the beautiful sterling silver necklace with two baby bootie pendants attached. Each pendant had her son's birthstone in the center. Meredith turned the pendants over and noticed that Noah's and Cole's names were engraved on the back, along with their birthdates. _

"_Derek!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful! I love it!" She gently removed the necklace from the box and motioned for Derek to put it on her. _

_Derek stood up and went behind her, clasping the necklace for her. He kissed her softly on the back of the neck. "It looks beautiful on you." he whispered, kissing her neck again and going back to his seat. _

"_Thank you," Meredith said, reaching for his hand. "I love you and our life together."_

"_I love you, too," Derek said. He motioned to the necklace, "The necklace…it can be added to…you know, if we decide to have any more kids."_

_Meredith's eyes got wide. "M-more k-kids?" Meredith stuttered, clutching her necklace. "Seriously?"_

_Derek laughed. "I was joking, Mer. Let's enjoy the two we have for awhile before we talk about having any more," he said._

_Meredith sighed in relief and smiled at him. "But you do want to have more?" she asked._

_Derek thought for a moment, "Whatever you're comfortable with, Mer. I mean, I have always wanted a big family, but we both have our careers to think about. You will start applying for fellowships soon. It will be a stressful time for you and I get it. So, whatever you want I'm okay with." He smiled at her reassuringly. He was okay with what she wanted. She had given him two sons. Derek could be satisfied with that._

_Meredith smiled back at him, "Thanks for understanding. I am nervous about my fellowship, that's for sure. But having babies with you is addicting. Watching you as a Daddy to our boys makes my uterus speak baby to my brain. I think…I think eventually I'd like to have another," she confessed._

_Derek's eyes grew wide, "Really?" he asked. He didn't expect that to come out of her mouth. "You'd want to have another?"_

_Meredith nodded. "There's too much testosterone in the house. I want a girl."_

_Derek looked up to the gallery from the aneurysm that that he was clipping to notice a beautiful, honey blonde woman with big, green eyes staring back at him. She noticed him look up at her and gave him a wide smile. Derek loved when his wife watched him perform surgery. It was like her eyes were only for him. Not that his wife's eyes were led astray outside of the operating room, but the fact that his wife took time away from her busy schedule to watch him operate captivated his heart. Meredith had his heart, all of it. She had possession to the point that she might as well slap a 'Property of Meredith Shepherd' sticker on it. He was hers. And she was having his baby, again. Dr. Mostow was also aware of Dr. Grey's presence, but her observing him was a completely different ball game. Meredith scared the crap out of Steve and he became a basket case when he was in her direct sight._

"_Dr. Mostow, name the causes of a cerebral aneurysm," Derek asked Dr. Mostow. Steve's head snapped back to the operating table in surprise. _

'_S-sorry, D-Dr. Shepherd?" he asked nervously._

_Derek inhaled deeply. "Name the causes of a cerebral aneurism," he repeated slowly and a bit louder. _

"_Oh, t-the c-causes of a c-cerebral aneurysm are, um, g-genetics..um...head injury…um…_

"_Surgeons don't say 'um', Dr. Mostow," Meredith's voice filtered into the operating room from the intercom in the gallery. "You either know the causes or you don't."_

"_Right, s-sorry, D-Dr. Grey," Steve stammered. He cleared his throat. "The causes of a cerebral aneurysm are genetics..um..oh, I mean genetics, head injury, atherosclerosis, hypertension, or an infection that directly effects the brain." He answered, his hands shaking._

_Derek watched the resident in amusement. Meredith knew that her directness with him made him nervous. He had asked her in the past what it was about Steve that caused her to be so sharp with him. She had said ever since he had allowed the other interns to perform surgery on him, nearly costing she and Cristina their medical licenses, his existence annoyed her. "In this patient's case, what is the reason behind his cerebral aneurysm?" Derek asked._

"_In this patient's case, it would be atherosclerosis. After years of eating deep fried foods on a daily basis, it finally caught up with him." Steve answered._

_Derek nodded. "Proof right in front of you that fast food has its price."_

"_What are you getting at, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith's voice came from the intercom again. "Are you saying that because your unborn child wants McFlurry's and value meals from McDonalds instead of cardboard cereal and salads I will potentially develop atherosclerosis as a result?" she demanded._

"_No, Dr. Grey, that is not what I'm saying," Derek argued, his eyes not leaving his patient. "I am saying that overindulging in foods high in fat for long periods of time can potentially cause health problems leading to cerebral aneurisms," he protested. _

"_So, the fact that you lectured me last night on overindulging in fast food doesn't count in this conversation that you are having with your resident today?" Meredith debated. _

_Derek groaned inwardly. Leave it to his wife to call him on something. "Dr. Grey, with all do respect, the man that I'm currently operating on is sixty seven years old. You are not as old as this patient," Derek exhaled. _

"_As old? Are you inquiring that I'm old?" Meredith asked, causing the team in the operating room to snicker amongst one another. _

"_No!" Derek exclaimed. He took a moment to look around the operating room, where almost everyone was looking back at him sympathetically. "Absolutely not. You are young, beautiful, and not at any risk for atherosclerosis. I love you with all my heart and if our baby wants McFlurry's and value meals, then I will make sure that you get them." A few of the scrub nurses let out sounds of endearment at Dr. Shepherd's words. _

_Meredith ignored the nurses. "Good, because I would hate to remind you of __**your**__ age, Dr. Shepherd. You're definitely not a spring chicken. Which reminds me, popcorn chicken is the special today for lunch." Meredith glared at Derek and turned to leave. Derek watched her leave the gallery and looked over at Steve. _

_Steve looked back at Derek with wide eyes. "That was brilliant! I love the way you turned that conversation around to compliment her," he announced. _

_Derek nodded, "This is not my first rodeo." _

"_I just realized that," Steve nodded. _

_Derek looked around the operating room and said in a hushed voice. "Something you will also come to realize, Dr. Mostow, is that you are not the only one who is afraid of my wife," Derek admitted._

"_Who else is afraid, sir?" He asked._

"_Me," Derek answered.  
_

"I will give you a million dollars if you stay," Derek offered his mother as they stood at the airport saying goodbye. Carolyn chuckled at his proposal.

"And after he gives you a million, I'll give you an extra twenty thousand. Residents don't make as much as attendings do," Meredith added.

Carolyn looked at the two of them with a big smile. Her time in Seattle with Derek and his family had been wonderful, but her life was back in New York . "Dear, I appreciate the offer, but I will remind you that if I stay, there will be frequent trips to Seattle by your sisters."

Derek thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, go home." He pulled his mother into a hug, smiling as she laughed at his response. "Thanks for everything, Mom," he whispered in her ear. "We'll definitely miss you."

Carolyn pulled away, tears in her eyes. "I will miss you all, too. Come to New York , soon."

Meredith nodded. "We plan on it this summer." She looked at Carolyn and stepped closer to her. Derek watched as the two women eyed each other. He saw tears forming in Meredith's eyes.

Meredith quickly pulled Carolyn to her and hugged her tightly. Carolyn lovingly rubbed her back. Meredith sighed deeply, "I don't know what I would have done without you these past weeks. You were a lifesaver, seriously, because if you weren't here Derek would have had me put away by now."

Both women glanced at Derek, who was nodding in agreement with wide eyes. Meredith rolled her eyes at him and continued. "I've never had a mother, well, I had a mother, but Derek's told you about her. She wasn't like normal mothers, she was…she was not a mother, she wasn't all motherly and warm…she was…I'm not sure what she was…but anyway," she took a deep breath, "you've been the closest thing to a mother that I've ever had. I…I consider you like a mom," Meredith said softly. Carolyn looked at her with a surprised expression. Derek reached over to rub Meredith's shoulder, knowing how much it took for her to say that. "I don't know how I can thank you enough," Meredith said.

Carolyn smiled, "Well, first of all, you have given me two of the most beautiful grand children…"

"I helped," Derek nodded.

"Second, you love my son and treat him well and put up with his inflated ego," she continued.

"Wait a minute…" Derek protested.

"And third," Carolyn continued loudly, "you sort of just called me your mother."

Meredith nodded, nervously glancing at Derek, who was smiling back at her. "Is…is that o-okay?" she stuttered.

Carolyn beamed widely, "Of course! It only took you three years, but I'd be honored if you would consider me your mother." Carolyn pulled Meredith into a hug, exchanging pleased looks with her son.

"Be careful, Mer. Once she lures you in, there's no turning back," Derek joked, picking up Noah. Carolyn grabbed Noah out of his father's arms and hugged him tightly.

"I will miss you, my Noah boy. Be a good brother to Cole and be good for your Mommy and Daddy. I will see you soon," she kissed his forehead and handed him back to his father. She walked over to the stroller that Cole was in and kissed his head.

"Bye Gamma." Noah said, pointing at Cole. "Take dat baby wit you."

_Derek opened the door and walked into the dark on-call room. He was greeted with the soft snores of his wife, who was laying on one of the beds, sleeping peacefully. Her large baby bump was propped up by several pillows in order for her to get comfortable. Derek smiled at the sight._

_He quietly walked over to the bed and kicked his shoes off. He curled into the bed next to her, bringing his arm around her and rubbing his hand up and down her back. He kissed her gently on the forehead, causing her to get awake. _

"_Hmm, what are you doing here?" she mumbled._

"_I needed to see you," he whispered in her ear. "I haven't seen you all day and I missed you." He trailed kisses over her neck and up to her ear. "I think I'm addicted to you," he murmured, sucking on her earlobe. _

_Meredith giggled. "You are so corny," she said. She ran her hand up his arm and into his dark curls. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly. "But I love you anyway."_

"_I love you, too," he murmured. He rubbed his hand over her stomach. "How are you today?" _

"_Tired," Meredith replied. "I had some time in between surgeries, so I thought I'd rest. You're not busy?" she asked._

_Derek shook his head. "I have a lobotomy in ten minutes. I needed a jump start," he said._

_Meredith groaned, "I'm too tired to have sex, Derek."_

_Derek frowned, "Get your mind out of the gutter. I didn't want sex."_

_Meredith's eyes shot open. "You didn't?" she asked. "Are you sick?"_

"_Nope," he replied. "I just missed your smell."_

_Meredith laughed as Derek pulled her as close to him as he could and buried his face into her neck. She ran her fingers through his hair as he inhaled deeply several times and moved his face to the other side of her neck, repeating his breathing. He then looked up at her and kissed her fully on the lips. _

"_Okay, I'm recharged now. I'll see you later?" He asked._

_Meredith smiled. "What was that about?" she asked._

"_I recharged myself with your smell. It will hold me over till I see you again. Tonight? Tonight there will be sex, lots of sex," he promised. He kissed her again, running his tongue along the inside of her mouth._

_Meredith groaned. "Can't wait," she whispered. Derek leaned down to kiss her swollen stomach and got up to put his shoes back on. He looked at her with his deep blue eyes. "In case you didn't know, I'm in love with you," he said, opening the door to leave. _

_Meredith smiled, "I know," and snuggled back under the blanket. She was in love with him, too.  
_

Cole's cries filtered through the Victorian house overlooking Seattle . It was afternoon nap time and the pacifier was nowhere to be found. Meredith was frantically trying to remember where the freaking pacifier was. She knew Cole had it before his bath that morning, he had it to take his morning nap, and he had it when he was suckered into watching Elmo with Noah…Noah!

"I will be right back," Meredith murmured to a screaming Cole, rubbing his stomach as he lay in his crib. She darted across the hall to Noah's room. Noah was sitting on his bed with his six stuffed Elmo's lined up. Noah had a book open, pretending to read to them. Meredith quietly entered the room and Noah looked up. "Hi, Mommy!" he greeted her.

"Hi, Noah," she said softly, sitting down on the bed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I readin to my Melmos," he replied.

Meredith nodded with a smile. "Noah, I have a question for you," she asked.

Noah looked up at her intuitively. "What you want?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where Cole's binky is, do you?" she asked him with raised eyebrows.

Noah thought for a moment. "Yes, I do," he replied.

"Where is it?" Meredith asked.

"I dunno," he replied.

Meredith rolled her eyes. This reminded her of conversations with Derek. She could hear Cole's cries as they got louder.

"You just told me you knew where it was," she argued.

"I know," he replied.

"Noah," she was losing patience, "I need your brother's binky, now," she said slowly. "Tell Mommy where it is."

"Why?" he asked.

"Listen to your brother, Noah. He's upset and he wants his Binky. Cole is a Binky addict.. You love your brother and you don't want him to be upset, do you?" she asked.

"No," Noah replied.

Meredith waited for him to say more, but he didn't. "Where is it, Noah?" she asked.

Noah put his pointer finger to his chin, like he was thinking. "Hmmmm," he said thoughtfully.

"Noah," Meredith sighed. "If you tell Mommy where it is, Daddy will go to the Whole Foods Store and buy you the dried apples and bananas you like," she offered.

Noah's eyes lit up. "Yay!" he said. He slid off his bed and looked at Meredith. "It in my pocket." He reached into his jeans and presented Cole's pacifier.

Meredith looked at the pacifier, which was covered in lint. "Why did you put it in your pocket?" she asked.

Noah shrugged. "I telled da baby to talk to me. He not do it, sos I taked it and put it here." He pointed to his pocket.

Meredith nodded slowly, not sure how to respond.

"You call Daddy an tell hims I want my apples and nannas!" Noah exclaimed, following Meredith out of his room. She went to the bathroom and quickly washed the pacifier off. Noah followed her into Cole's room and watched as she offered him the pacifier. Cole took it and immediately fell asleep.

Noah followed her downstairs. "You call Daddy now?" he asked hopefully.

Meredith sighed and picked up the phone. She stared at Noah as she waited for Derek to pick up.

"Hey," he answered. "Be home in an hour."

"I need you to stop by the Whole Foods store and get your son some dried apples and bananas, please. As a matter of fact, get it in bulk."

Derek chuckled, noticing the tone of his wife's voice. The kids were driving her nuts.

"Okay, may I ask why I need to get it in bulk?" He asked.

"For my sanity, Derek. Your children are driving me crazy."

**Lotsa fluff. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. Comments would be appreciated.**


	13. Terrible Twos

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.**

**Chapter Twelve:**

Derek woke before the alarm. It had been six weeks since he had made love to his wife since Cole's birth. Six weeks were up today and he was horny. He could feel himself becoming aroused at the thought of sex with his wife. Six weeks was a long time, especially for them.

He turned over in bed, ready to pounce, but found Meredith's side of the bed empty. He looked around the room. She wasn't due to go into the hospital until he went in. They had planned on driving one car, both taking Cole to his first day of daycare. Noah hadn't been there for six weeks and it was thought that his first day back might be a little rough.

Derek rolled out of bed and made his way down the hall in search for his wife. He quietly peeked into Cole's nursery. Cole was still asleep and there was no sign of Meredith. He walked across the hall to Noah's room. He smiled at the sight of Noah sound asleep, surrounded by his stuffed Elmo dolls. Meredith wasn't there, either.

Derek sighed as he made his way downstairs. He heard clattering coming from the kitchen and he quietly entered the room. Meredith was rummaging through the refrigerator mumbling to herself. An open cookbook was lying on the island counter and several bowls were piled up beside it. Derek had a scary thought run through his head. All the signs were there that Meredith was attempting to cook.

He snuck up behind her and smiled when he heard her mumble, "how the freak do you get the egg whites away from the yolk? Seriously…" Derek wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her to him. He felt her tense at his touch and then relax into his arms.

"You can put the egg in a bowl and spoon out the yolk. That would be the easiest way," he murmured into her ear. "What are you doing up so early," he sucked on her earlobe.

"I am making breakfast for my family," she announced. "I thought I'd make French toast. I finally looked at the Cooking for Dummies cookbook that Cristina got me for my birthday last year and I got inspired. I feel that with it's help, I can cook anything."

"Hmm, a wife that cooks. Every man's dream. You know another dream men have? Waking up to find their wife next to them when they promised them morning sex." Derek trailed kisses down her neck and onto her shoulder. Meredith moaned softly at the feeling.

Derek moved his hands under her shirt and moved them to her breasts, rubbing his hands on them.

"So, you're not hungry?" She asked.

"Starving," Derek replied. "Ravenous."

"Well, then, you should let me finish breakfast. I can't have you distracting me when I am trying to cook," she protested huskily, breathing heaver as his hands roamed over her body. "Do you want me to burn it?"

"You burn food when you don't have distractions, Mer. The kids are still sleeping and I'm horny as hell. Breakfast can wait. Besides, I didn't order French toast for breakfast." He turned her to face him, leaning his face into hers and kissing her passionately. His tongue entered and explored her mouth. Meredith moaned as his lips moved downward to her neck, licking and sucking her skin.

Meredith ran her fingers through his hair as he devoured her neck. "What did you order, then?" She teased breathlessly.

Derek pulled away to look in her eyes. "I ordered you for breakfast."

Meredith giggled as he lifted her onto the island countertop. "One or two rounds of dirty, hot kitchen sex coming up," she announced, pulling his face to hers and kissing him hungrily.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

After two rounds of hot, dirty kitchen sex, and one round of wild, earth shattering laundry room sex, they were late. Meredith left Derek hurriedly in the parking lot and he was left to take the kids to daycare. The minute Noah knew that his mother would not be dropping him off, he threw a temper tantrum. Derek had to stop in the lobby until Noah stopped flopping on the floor like a dead fish, screaming that he wanted his mommy. After calmly telling Noah to get off the floor and him refusing, Derek remembered a mechanism that he had seen Supernanny do one night when Meredith had hid the television remote from him.

"Noah," Derek started sternly, "by the time I count to three, you had better have your two year old butt over here to with me to go to daycare. If I get to three and you're not here, you will not be allowed to watch Elmo's World until I say so." _Meredith would jump for joy if that happened,_ he thought. "One….two…" Noah stood up and reluctantly walked over to his father. "Good boy," Derek praised as they walked down the hallway.

Once they reached daycare, Noah spied Madison and he ran off to play with her. Derek greeted the daycare staff and went over Cole's schedule. Derek smiled as he watched the daycare staff go on and on about Cole and how much he looked like Noah.

Just as Derek was leaving, Noah tugged on his pant leg. "Where my mommy?" he asked, glaring at him.

Derek squatted to his eye level. "Buddy, Mommy had rounds this morning ,but you'll see her later when she comes to feed Cole." He smoothed Noah's curly hair with his hand.

"Me want mommy," Noah stated sternly. He arms crossed his chest.

Derek sighed, "Mommy will be here later. "

Noah shook his head back and forth quickly. "Me want mommy, now. She come or me cry." Noah threatened his father.

Derek stood up. "Noah Shepherd, I told you, your mother is busy and you will see her later. End of discussion, son," he said sternly.

Derek watched as Noah burst into tears. His sobs grew louder with each breath he took. "Me want Mommy!" he yelled, causing the other kids to give him scared looks. "Me want her now, Daddy, now!"

Derek quickly picked Noah up and tried to calm him. "Shh, Noah, you're scaring your friends. Stop acting this way." Noah buried his face in Derek's shoulder and hiccupped.

"Me miss Mommy, Daddy. Me go see her now?" Noah asked, giving Derek a pathetic look.

Derek sighed and looked at his watch. Meredith was probably giving the interns their assignments now. She could take a minute to see Noah. Derek gave Noah a begrudged look. "Okay, let's go see Mommy," he groaned.

Noah threw his arms around his father and kissed his cheek. "Me love you, Daddy, so much!"

"_How'd you know that Grey was the one?" Mark asked as he walked into Derek's office and sat on the couch. _

_Derek looked up from the chart he was reading, "The one what?" he asked._

_Mark rolled his eyes. "You know, the one," he repeated. "The one as in the one. The one you wanted to marry, the one you wanted to have kids with." Derek looked at him with a confused expression. "What?" Mark growled._

"_Nothing," Derek flipped the chart closed and shook his head. "Just never thought Mark Sloan would ask a question like that." Derek smirked at him._

"_Jackass, I'm serious. Did you know right away or did it take awhile?" _

_Derek thought for a moment, remembering when he met Meredith at Joe's bar. He smiled at the thought. "I had a feeling the night that I met her, but then I knew for sure when I saw her at the hospital the next day. I just…knew." He looked at Mark thoughtfully._

_Mark observed Derek's expression as he talked about Meredith. "Right away, huh?" he asked._

_Derek looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, right away. I knew I wanted to marry her almost immediately. Why do you ask?" Derek asked curiously._

_Mark sighed, "No reason."_

"_Mark, you just don't go around asking people questions like that if you didn't have a reason," Derek pointed out. He walked over to sit beside Mark on the couch._

_Mark stared at his hands, "I don't know. I think Lexie is the one, but am not sure." _

_Derek nodded with a smile. "Can you imagine your life without her?" he asked._

"_No, and I don't want to," Mark replied._

"_When you look at her or think of her, does your pulse speed up and it takes all you can to form sentences?" Derek asked._

_Mark slowly nodded. "She had to order my lunch yesterday because my mouth would not work to order for myself."_

"_Do you count down the hours until you see her again?" Derek asked._

_Mark nodded, "I will see her in forty eight minutes," he said, looking at his watch._

"_Do you live to make her happy?" Derek asked softly._

"_Every day," Mark replied._

_Derek smiled and sighed, patting Mark on the shoulder. "I hate to say it, but you've got it bad." Derek laughed. _

_Mark turned to look at him. "You feel all those things for Grey?" he asked._

_Derek nodded, "I cannot imagine my life without Meredith. She completes me in ways I never thought possible. When I look at her or think about her, I brain gets fuzzy and I can't speak right. When I'm at work, I look at my watch constantly, counting down the time until I see her again. I can smell her when she's not around and it drives me crazy. I live to make her happy. She's my life…she's everything to me." Derek could feel the tears prickling in his eyes as he talked about his wife. _

_Mark rolled his eyes. "Man, you talk about me having it bad. You should listen to yourself."_

"_So, what are you going to do about it?" Derek asked._

_Mark shrugged, "Lexie has made it very clear that she wants to get settled into her own practice before she considers marriage and family. I probably won't do anything about it now, but maybe in the future."_

"_You always have to do what I do," Derek joked._

_Mark growled and stood up to leave. He paused in the doorway and turned around. "Did I ever tell you that you're my hero?" he said in mock seriousness. Derek chuckled. "You're everything I wish I could be," Mark continued. Derek groaned at Mark's words. "I can fly higher than an eagle, you are the wind beneath my wings," Mark bowed as he finished._

"_Get the hell out of my office, Sloan," Derek replied._

"Meredith, the kid threw a fit in the middle of the hospital lobby. We need to discuss how we're going to handle his tantrums," Derek said in a low voice so Noah couldn't hear from the back of the jeep.

Meredith shook her head, "He had one outburst in public, Derek. I don't see what the big deal is."

Derek sighed, "One tantrum leads to more. Then Cole sees his behaviors and picks up on them. Both kids need to understand that bad behavior is not acceptable."

"I get that, Derek, and right now is it really a problem? Cole is a baby and Noah was just mad because I couldn't drop him off at daycare."

Derek nodded, "He didn't get his own way, so he threw a fit. We need to be on the same page with disciplining him."

"He doesn't need disciplined," she argued. "Don't forget, I need to stop at the store." She pointed at the grocery store across the street. Derek set his jaw, knowing that this conversation was not over. "I'll just be a few minutes," she said as he pulled into the parking spot.

"We'll be here," he said, not looking at her.

Noah noticed that his mother was leaving without him. He pulled at his car seat harness urgently. "Mommy! Me go, too!" he yelled. "Get me out!"

Meredith poked her head back in the car. "Noah, I said I'll be a few minutes. Wait with Daddy and Cole. I'll be right back." She moved to close the door and Noah burst into tears. "Noah! Seriously?" she exclaimed.

Noah's cries got louder and Derek looked at Meredith with an "I told you so" expression. "Whatever, Derek, he just hasn't seen me all day," she snapped. She got Noah out of the car seat and took him with her into the store.

"Hold my hand so I don't lose you," Meredith instructed him.

Noah yanked his hand away. "Me walk myself," he said grumpily.

Meredith reached for his hand again and he pulled it further away from her. "Noah, I said give me your hand. I don't want you to get lost," she said firmly.

"No!" Noah shouted, stomping his foot.

"Okay, mister, then you are back in the car with your father," she replied. Noah sighed and gave her his hand. "Thank you," Meredith nodded.

"Me wanna see da fish!" Noah exclaimed as they made their way around the aisle. He started pulling at Meredith's hand towards the seafood department.

Meredith pulled back. "Noah, we don't have time today. It's almost time for Cole to eat and we have to get home. Next time, okay?" she asked,

"Me wanna see da fish!" He repeated, yanking at her hand.

"I said no, Noah, let's go," she pulled him down the aisle.

Noah yanked his hand from hers and started to scream, jumping up and down. He went over to the Pop Tarts and started ripping them off the shelves. Meredith stood there for a moment, mortified. People were giving her evil stares and shaking their heads at her.

Meredith gritted her teeth and walked over to him. She forced him to look at her. "Noah Christopher Shepherd, you stop this minute!" she said in a loud voice. "Look at this mess you made. You will pick the mess up and you will be on your best behavior in this store until I am finished here. Do you understand me?" She shook his shoulders gently for emphasis.

Noah looked up at her with a scared look on his tear stained face. "Yes, Mommy," he whispered.

"Move it!" she ordered, pointing to the mess. Meredith watched as Noah picked up the pop tarts. She held out his hand to her and he took it without hesitation. Meredith sighed as they walked through the store. She hated it when her husband was right.

_Cristina eyed Meredith suspiciously as they sat down in the cafeteria for lunch. "Mer, no offense, but you look like crap," she announced._

_Meredith sighed, propping her head up on her hand. "I know. I feel like crap. This pregnancy thing is kicking my ass. I didn't feel this bad with Noah." She let her head drop into her arms on the table. _

_Cristina patted her on the head. "It's different this time. When Clone o'Derek was in the oven, you weren't chasing after a two year old. You're not resting as much."_

_Meredith lifted her head to look at her. "I have to chase after him. He puts everything in the toilet. Yesterday, I caught him dunking his Little People. Apparently, the Little People family installed a pool."_

"_It's great how we're sitting here talking about toilets when we're eating lunch. I don't know what we talked about before you got all mommy-fied," Cristina said._

_Meredith giggled. "At least we aren't talking about the time Noah got Derek's drink from the toilet," she laughed harder at the thought._

_Cristina slowly put her fork down. "Now that's just gross," she groaned, but then burst out laughing. "That kid of yours cracks me up."_

_Meredith nodded and looked up to see Derek and Noah walking towards their table. "Hi, guys," she greeted them. "What are you two up to?"_

"_Happy Bufday!" Noah exclaimed, smiling widely at his mother._

_Derek looked at him in alarm, "Noah, shhh, it's a surprise. Don't tell her," he whispered. _

"_Tell me what?" Meredith asked. _

"_Nothing, don't worry about it. Your son has a big mouth," Derek replied. "Actually, Mer, I needed to stop buy here to uh…finish up some paperwork. Do you have time to keep Noah with you until I'm done?"_

_Meredith nodded. "Yep, he can hang with us. Must be pretty important paperwork for you to come in on your day off," she winked at Cristina. _

_Derek placed Noah in Meredith's lap and kissed the top of his head, "We were in the area, thought I'd stop by," he argued._

_Meredith nodded at his response, "Right."_

_Derek kissed her quickly, "Be back in half an hour." _

_Cristina lifted Noah from Meredith's lap and placed him in the high chair that she brought over. "You hungry?" she asked him. Noah nodded. "You want a French fry?" Cristina offered him some fries._

_Noah shook his head. "No, them yucky! Me eat ananna!" Cristina looked at Meredith with a puzzled look._

"_He wants a banana," Meredith said, shaking her head at Cristina._

"_Sorry! I don't speak baby!" Cristina got up to get Noah a banana. _

_Meredith watched Cristina move towards the line and pulled Noah's chair closer to her. "Hey, sweet pea, did you have fun with Daddy today?" she asked sweetly. If anyone would blab what Derek was up to, it was Noah. Noah nodded his head. "What did you do?" she asked, running her hand over his hair. _

"_Daddy go vvrrooom!" Noah motioned like he was driving a car. _

_Meredith looked puzzled. "Daddy drove you in the car?" she asked._

_Noah nodded. "It red," he said matter of factly._

_Meredith giggled, "Daddy's car isn't red, it's black, silly boy."_

_Noah shook his head, "No Daddy car, yous car," he pointed at her. Meredith nodded in understanding. That's what Derek was up to. Her idiot husband had bought her a car._

Meredith looked up from the book she was reading as Derek came out of the bathroom. He gave her a small smile as he settled on his side of the bed. Neither said anything for a moment.

"So," Derek started. "Counting to three really made a difference."

"What?" Meredith asked.

He looked at her. "Counting to three when Noah was throwing a fit seemed to help the situation. You know, like on Supernanny."

Meredith smiled slightly. "Supernanny?" She repeated.

Derek nodded, "That woman knows what she's talking about."

Meredith giggled. "Counting to three really works?" she asked.

"Yep, I didn't even make it to three. He was listening by the time I got to two." He smirked at her.

Meredith looked down at her hands. "How did your parents discipline you when you were a kid?"

"They didn't need to. I was perfect," he joked

Meredith giggled, "Derek, seriously, you wanted to have this conversation."

Derek put his hands behind his head, deep in thought. "I remember they would ground me. They wouldn't let me ride my bike, or hang out with my friends. They'd take away things that I liked to do." He looked at her, "What about you?"

Meredith gave him an annoyed look, "Remember who my mother was, Derek? I was ignored the majority of my life and when I did do something wrong to get attention, I was reminded of how she shouldn't have had a child and I was a waste of time."

Derek nodded sympathetically, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his chest. "I think it's safe to say that we won't carry on Ellis' disciplinary tactics," he murmured in her ear.

Meredith giggled. "I think taking away things is a good idea. That will be our strategy. We'll count to three. If we get to three, then we take stuff away."

Derek rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "Sounds good. Supernanny would be proud."

Meredith turned to cuddle into his chest, "We're making parental decisions, honey," she announced.

"Well, we are parents," Derek replied.

Meredith turned her head and kissed him softly. "I'm glad we're parents together," she murmured.

Derek kissed her again, "I'm glad, too."

**Leave me love! I adore reviews!!**


	14. Oh, Potty!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy.**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"Derek, you need to show him how to use the potty," Meredith hissed. "His plumbing is outside and you are his father." Derek and Meredith were both standing with their arms crossed over their chests, looking down at Noah's new "Cheer For Me Potty," that they had purchased. It was time to potty train Noah.

"I know I'm his father," Derek replied, his eyes not leaving the child sized toilet. "All I'm asking is do we teach him sitting down or standing up?"

"I don't know," Meredith replied, "I've never potty trained anyone before."

Derek looked at her, "I've never potty trained anyone either, Mer. We're both stumbling around in the dark with this one."

"Well, what do the instructions say?" Meredith asked.

Derek picked up the instruction book from the counter. He scanned the pages and snapped it shut. "It doesn't say," he replied.

Meredith grabbed the book from him. "Seriously?" She flipped through the book. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Derek thought for a moment. "It's way too small of a toilet for him to get his aim right. He'd pee all over the wall if he stood up to go."

Meredith pointed to the book, "It says a guard for boys is included."

Derek eyed the potty. "Is that what that thing is at the front of the seat?" He asked.

Meredith looked at the picture at the front of the book that labeled all the parts. "That would be it, so apparently, he sits down."

Derek nodded, "Good to know." He knelt down to look at the potty. "This thing is great. Noah has his own toilet paper holder and the potty will play music when he goes. The munchkin is set."

Meredith nodded, "He has it made. You should get him to come in here and see it."

Derek smiled, walking to the doorway. "Noah! Come here, please!" Derek walked back to his wife and they both turned to look at the doorway. They smiled at each other as they heard Noah dragging something down the hall towards the bathroom. They watched him come in, pulling his collection of Elmos in his little wagon.

"What you want?" he asked. He had an annoyed expression on his face.

Meredith motioned for him to come over to her. Noah came to her, pulling his wagon with him. "What, Mommy?" he asked.

"Noah, Daddy and I wanted to show you something." Meredith motioned to the potty behind her. "We got you a big boy potty."

Noah stared at it, obviously not impressed. "Oh," he stated.

Derek knelt down beside Meredith. "You don't need to wear your diapers anymore, Buddy. When you have to go to the bathroom you can use your potty."

"No way," Noah said.

Derek and Meredith looked at each other in panic. Noah was not reacting to the potty as they thought he would. Derek cleared his throat and tried again. "Noah, you're a big boy now. Babies wear diapers," he informed him

"Daddy, me know me big now. Duh!" Noah said. Derek looked at Meredith exchanged amused glances.

"Noah, look at this awesome potty," Meredith pulled the potty closer for Noah to see it. "Look, you can have your own roll of toilet paper and when you go, the potty will sing to you. Want to try it out?" She looked at Noah hopefully. Derek nodded his head in agreement with a smile plastered across his face.

Noah thought for a moment, "Me busy right now," he said as he turned to leave the bathroom, pulling his wagon full of Elmos behind him.

"That went well," Derek muttered.

_Meredith moaned pitifully as she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. Her back ached from carrying around the extra weight of her pregnancy. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She definitely was more tired with this pregnancy than she was with Noah. It was either because she was too busy chasing around an active two year old to sleep, or it was the sex crazed husband who pawed at her all the time. At first it was flattering that he wanted sex so much, but it slowly began to catch up with her. The making love every night and morning was interfering with her sleep. The baby would be coming in two more weeks. Then, maybe she could start feeling like herself again. _

_She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. She undressed and stepped in, moaning as the hot water hit her aching muscles. _

_Derek walked into the bedroom, tired after working all night. All he wanted to do was curl up next to Meredith and sleep. Those plans were eliminated when he saw his wife's side of the bed was empty. He made his way to the bathroom, hearing the shower running. He smirked to himself at the thought of taking a shower with his wife. A shower and maybe some shower sex. Life was good._

_Meredith was washing her hair when she realized she had company. She turned quickly to see her husband staring back at her with lustful eyes. "When did you get home?" she asked._

"_Just now. I wanted to snuggle in bed with the love of my life, but she wasn't there. Then I realized that I needed a shower, so I came in and was pleasantly surprised that the said love of my life read my mind and started one for me." Derek winked at her, moving closer to her and wrapping his arms around her. "I missed you last night." He kissed her deeply on the lips, trailing kisses down her neck and chest. _

"_I missed you, too. I can't sleep when you're not beside me," she murmured, pulling his face back to hers and kissing him. "Noah will be up any minute. Quickie?" _

_Derek smirked, "Hmm…we definitely need a quickie." She bumped his hip with her leg for him to lift her up. Derek obliged, easily lifting her enormously pregnant body for her to wrap her legs around his waist. Meredith leaned back against the shower wall for support. _

_Ten minutes later, after the moans of the earth shattering orgasms died down and the water ran cold, they got out of the shower. Derek wrapped a towel around his wife and frowned at her expression, "Mer, you shouldn't look disgusted after sex with me. It's bad for my ego."_

_Meredith smiled slightly, "I'm not disgusted, Der. My back is killing me." She moved her hand to her back to rub it. "It was manageable before, but it's like fifty times worse now since we had sex."_

_Derek put is hands to her lower back to rub it. "Was I too rough?" he asked quietly. _

"_No…no, you were amazing. The baby is just pushing on my back," she pulled his face towards hers to kiss him, but grimaced suddenly when she felt her uterus contract tightly._

"_Meredith," Derek asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"_

"_I...I think I'm in labor!" she exclaimed in shock. Derek's eyes got wide at the thought. The baby wasn't due to come for another two weeks._

"_You think you're in labor?" Derek repeated in a panicked voice._

_Meredith gasped as she felt the pressure, the pop and the warm amniotic fluid trickle down her leg. She looked at Derek with wide eyes, "Now I know I'm in labor. My water just broke!"_

"Yum! What are you making for dinner?" Meredith asked as she walked in the door from work. Derek was at the stove and a pleasant aroma was in the air. He turned to her as she walked over to him. Meredith wrapped her arms around him and leaned her face to his as he bent his head to kiss her.

"I'm making spaghetti," he answered after they broke the kiss.

"Ooh! I love your spaghetti. I knew there was a reason why I kept you around." Meredith moved to the other side of the island and sat on the bar stool.

Derek chuckled as he turned to stir the sauce. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice and water from the fridge. He smiled at her as he put the full glass in front of her. "I see how you are. I thought you kept me around because I'm amazing in bed."

Meredith giggled, "That, and you make cute kids." She looked in the living room. "Speaking of kids, where are they?"

"Nap and Elmo's World," Derek replied.

Meredith groaned, "How did Noah do with the potty today?"

Derek sighed, "Not good. When I mentioned using it, he hid behind the couch. I think he's in denial. Mom could not even convince him to use it when she called to talk to him today."

"Let's talk to him about it after dinner," she said. Derek nodded in agreement.

"Good night noises everywhere," Derek read, closing Good Night Moon and looking at Meredith as they sat on either side of Noah's bed, doing their bedtime ritual. Meredith took it as her cue to bring up the potty issue.

"Hey, Noah, did you use the potty today?" She asked him.

"No," Noah replied.

"Why not?" Meredith asked.

"Cause me not want to," he said.

"Why didn't you want to?" Derek asked.

"It make me mad," Noah frowned. Derek and Meredith exchanged puzzled looks.

"It made you mad?" Meredith repeated softly. "The toilet made you mad?"

Noah snapped his head to look at her, "Yes, it a tupid potty," he said.

"Why is it stupid?" Derek asked, rolling his eyes at the conversation.

"Melmo goed potty. The potty bited him." Noah informed his parents.

"The potty bit Elmo?" Derek's brow furrowed. This conversation was out there. "How do you know that, Noah?"

"Melmo telled me!" Noah exclaimed, rolling his eyes in the same way his father did a moment ago. "Melmo fraided sos me not go potty!"

Meredith nodded her head in understanding, "The potty bit Elmo and Elmo got scared. Now you won't use it, right?"

"Right," Noah echoed. "Me is tired," he yawned, giving his parents a cue that the conversation was over.

"Okay, Noah, you go to sleep and we'll talk about this more tomorrow. Night, Buddy," Derek tucked the covers around Noah and kissed his forehead. He walked to the door and waited for Meredith.

"Sweet dreams, Stinker," she murmured to him, kissing the tip of his nose. She walked to the door, raising her eyebrows at Derek. Derek smirked at her as he quietly closed Noah's door.

"Mer, was it just me or was that conversation fucked up?" Derek asked her as they walked to their room.

"_Look at this bed, Noah," Derek said, pointing to the captain bedroom set that was decorated with baseball furniture. Noah placed both hands on either side of his father's face, making him look at him. "Me sleep in my crib," Noah reminded him._

_Meredith brushed the hair out of his face, "Yes, you do sleep in your crib, but pretty soon your little brother will be here and he will need somewhere to sleep. It's time for you to get a big boy bed," she said to him softly. _

"_A big boy bed like this one," Derek said, holding Noah up like an airplane and landing him on top of the bed. Noah giggled in delight, "Daddy, you silly!" Derek crawled in the bed with him, making himself comfortable. _

_Meredith bit her lip, "I don't know, honey, don't you think it's pretty high off the ground?"_

_Derek peered over the edge, "Maybe a little, but we can buy two of those bed rails so he doesn't fall out." Meredith nodded in agreement. "This bed is so comfortable, Noah, I might fall asleep," Derek pretended to fall asleep, snoring loudly. _

_Noah giggled louder, slapping Derek's cheek. "Daddy! Wake up!"_

_Derek startled awake. He pretended to wipe his drool. "Oh, did I fall asleep?"_

"_Yes!" Noah exclaimed. "You snorded." Meredith smiled at her husband and son._

_Derek gave Meredith a sly look, "Was I snoring as loud as Mommy?" Meredith glared at him._

_Noah shook his head. "No, Mommy snorded really, really loud!" he said loudly. Derek burst out laughing. _

_Meredith haughtily crossed her arms over her chest. "Seriously? You have issues, Derek. I do not snore that loud. Get a freaking grip!" She gave him her pissed off look causing him to laugh louder. Meredith spun on her heel and walked through the furniture towards the front of the store, headed for the car. Her husband was an ass. She had almost made it to the door when Derek and Noah caught up with her. _

"_Mer," he said softly, grabbing her arm. "I was just kidding." His blue eyes were apologetic. "Don't be mad at me, please?"_

"_You're really funny, Derek. From now on if my snoring bothers you so much, you can sleep on the freaking couch." She glared at him as she made her way to the counter to purchase Noah's bedroom set. She turned around to look at him. "Oh, you know what I just thought of?" Meredith snapped, "you can sleep with your son from now on in his new bed considering how much you like it."_

Meredith stood at the nurses station sorting through lab results. This whole potty issue with Noah was driving she and Derek insane. Noah bluntly refused to even look at the potty. She looked up and noticed Dr. Bailey looking though patient's charts. Meredith walked over to her.

"Here are the lab results for your guy in 2412," she said, handing Dr. Bailey the paper. Dr. Bailey looked at it with a relieved expression. "Oh, good, his blood cell count is just fine. He had me worried." She looked up when she noticed Meredith staring at her.

"Dr. Grey?" she asked. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah…the potty," Meredith answered.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Bailey replied. "You have to use the rest room?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, I need help with potty training. I need your advice."

Dr. Bailey looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Meredith took a deep breath, "Noah flat out refuses to use the potty. He won't even go near it. All because Elmo was bit by the potty when he used it. Elmo told him about it and now Noah is scared to use the potty. Derek and I don't know what to do. We even tried bribing him with his favorite foods and that didn't work. He's almost three and he's still in diapers."

"Elmo got bit by the potty?" Dr. Bailey asked with a slightly amused expression.

Meredith nodded. "Yes, Dr. Bailey. Do you have any ideas?" Meredith asked.

Dr. Bailey thought for a moment, "Has Noah considered confronting the potty about why he is afraid?"

Meredith gave her a confused look, "Seriously, doesn't that sound a little weird?"

Dr. Bailey put her hands on her hips, "Grey, you just stood here and told me that the reason why your son will not use the potty is because Elmo used it and the potty bit him. That doesn't sound weird to you?"

Meredith took a moment to think and then nodded. "It sounds very weird, Dr. Bailey."

"Facing your fears is the best way to get over them," Dr. Bailey said.

Meredith nodded, "Right, good thinking Dr. Bailey. Derek and I will try that. Thank you." Meredith turned around and walked away quickly to find her husband. Dr. Bailey laughed to herself as she watched Meredith walk away.

"You need to practice your potty voice." Meredith told Derek as they walked up the steps carrying Noah's potty to his bedroom.

Derek nodded, "should his voice squeak like Mickey Mouse or be gruff like…" his voice trailed off.

"Like Cookie Monster on Sesame Street. Definitely Cookie Monster." She followed Derek into Noah's room. The saw him playing with is blocks.

Derek cleared his throat, "Noah, some…uh…thing is here to see you."

"Who?" Noah asked.

Meredith clapped her hands excitedly. "Your potty!" she cheered.

"He tupid," Noah responded.

"Yeah, but Noah, potty is really sorry that he bit Elmo. He thought that Elmo's furry butt was a snack," Derek said. Meredith looked at him and rolled her eyes. Derek shrugged.

"Melmo cry and me is mad," Noah glared at the potty. Cole's cry echoed into Noah's room, "Cole cry, too, cause Melmo cry."

Meredith left the room to get Cole. Derek walked over to Noah and squatted to his level. "If potty apologizes to Elmo for hurting him, will you sit on the potty?" Derek asked.

Noah shrugged his shoulders.

Derek held the potty towards Noah, "Noah, I'm sorry I bit Elmo's butt. I'm sad that no little man will sit on me and use me as a potty. If you want to sit on me, I promise that I won't bite again. Will you sit on me?" Derek asked in his gruffest voice. "Please?"

Noah shook his head, "No way." He crossed his arms.

"Oh, come on, Noah. Tell Elmo I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Elmo is my friend and I love him.." Derek continued to grumble.

"Melmo not yous friend. Yous bited him!" Noah yelled at the potty. "Me not like you!"

Derek thought for a moment as to what he was going to say next. His mind went blank.

Derek sighed and looked at Meredith as she walked back into Noah's bedroom with Cole. She gave Derek a questioning look. Derek shook his head.

Suddenly, Meredith had an idea. "Fine, Noah, you don't have to use it. You can give it to Cole. Cole loves to go potty," Meredith winked at Derek.

Noah looked at his mother and then at Cole. "He a baby," Noah stated. "He little."

"So?" Derek said. "He still wants to use the potty." Derek motioned for Meredith to give him Cole. He took off his diaper and sat him over the potty while he held onto him. Cole looked around with a confused expression.

"Look, Noah! Cole is going potty!" Meredith cheered. Suddenly, the toilet began to play a song. Cole heard the music and began to giggle. Derek and Meredith cheered loudly. Noah got up from his chair and came over to observe.

"Potty no bite Cole?" Noah asked, peering into the potty.

"Nope," Derek said, giving his diaper less brother to his Mommy. Meredith laid him on Noah's bed to put his diaper back on.

Noah sighed and pulled down is pants. "Otay, me use the potty now," he announced. He turned to point at the potty, "yous not bite me butt, tupid potty!" he yelled, sitting on the seat.

**Okay, seriously? Six comments from last chapter? That's pathetic! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!**

**Make sure you check out my new one shot called "Wonderful Tonight". Lotsa MerDer fluff! Don't forget to comment!**


	15. A Day for Fathers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy.**

**A little something to thank everyone for the comments. Those comments you send me is the reason I keep doing this. By the way, Happy Father's Day, Derek ;)**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Derek looked at Cole intently as he fed him his lunch of carrots and applesauce. "Cole, I know you can do it," Derek prompted. "Dada." Cole stared at his father, his mouth slightly open waiting for his next spoonful of baby food. "Cole, say Dada," Derek repeated.

"Mama," Cole replied. Derek sighed and spooned more food into his mouth. "Mama," Cole repeated.

"I am not Mama, I am Dada, say Dada," Derek prompted again. Cole gave him a stubborn look.

"Mama," Cole whispered. Derek groaned.

Noah got up from his booster seat and came over to stand beside his brother. "Silly Cole!" he exclaimed, giggling. "He is yous Daddy! Say Daddy!"

Cole shook his head and slammed his hands down on his tray, "Mama!" he yelled.

As if on cue, Meredith walked into the kitchen, yawning. Her hair was wild from sleep. "Good morning," she greeted her family.

"Mama!" Cole yelled. Derek raised his eyebrow at him. "Rub it in, rug rat," he mumbled. He turned to smile at Meredith. "More like afternoon, Mer," Derek joked. "It's almost one."

Meredith walked over and kissed Cole and Noah on their foreheads. She flopped in Derek's lap and kissed him. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm exhausted lately," she replied.

"You've been working long hours. It's catching up with you." Derek rubbed her back as he nuzzled her neck, humming as he inhaled her scent. He kissed her neck.

Meredith pulled away from him, realizing they had an audience, "Not in front of the kids, Der." She got up and went to the refrigerator. "I am starving," she announced, peering in at the contents.

"What do you want? I'll make it for you," Derek asked, wiping Cole's orange face with his bib.

Meredith shook her head. "I think I want, ooh yes, do we have anymore of that pizza left from dinner the other night?" She gasped in excitement as she saw what she was looking for and grabbed it. Meredith immediately took a big bite of the pizza and chewed, her eyes rolling in pleasure at the taste.

Derek chuckled. "Cold pizza for breakfast. Doesn't get any better than that."

"You don't know what you're missing. I am kinda glad that Cole is done nursing. Now I can eat all the pizza and ice cream I want." She took another big bite. "It's like my body is craving anything with milk in it now," she said with her mouth full. Cole had weaned himself a few weeks ago, shortly after turning nine months old. "How is he doing with the sippy cup?" She asked.

Derek smiled. "He takes a drink and lets it run down the sides of his mouth." Derek looked at Cole again. "Say Dada," he prompted.

"Mama," Cole replied. "Mamamama!"

"Momma's boy," Derek teased him.

Meredith giggled, "Don't be jealous, Der. I can't help it if I rock." She walked over to Cole and affectionately squeezed his chubby cheeks. "Cole, who's that?" Meredith asked, pointing at Noah.

Cole smiled brightly, "Noee!" he said. Noah giggled at Cole's answer.

Meredith pointed to herself. "Who am I?" she asked.

"Mama!" Cole yelled, reaching his arms out to her.

"Who is this?" Meredith pointed to Derek who looked at Cole with his pouty lip out.

"Mama," Cole whispered and then giggled. Derek sighed and pretended to cry.

Noah giggled, "Daddy! Yous a baby!"

"Yous no touch my Melmos," Noah informed Cole as they sat on the floor in the living room, surrounded by toys. Noah had his Elmo dolls lined up along the couch. Cole watched as Noah's attention was drawn to Elmo's World on the television. Cole leaned over and grabbed the nearest doll and began chewing its eyeball, watching for Noah to notice.

"That Melmos World!" Noah sang, turning to look at his brother. He gasped when he saw that Cole had Elmo by the neck, chewing on his eye. "Cole, no!" Noah exclaimed. "You not bite Melmos eyes. He not see!" Noah grabbed his doll roughly from his brother causing Cole to flop over on his side. Noah hugged Elmo tightly, patting his back as if he were trying to console him. "Dat bad, Cole!" Noah glared at his brother. Still clutching his doll tightly, he turned back to watch his show.

Cole crawled behind Noah and got up on his knees. He grabbed a huge handful of Noah's hair and pulled roughly. "OUCH!" Noah yelled. "Let GO!" Cole continued to pull on Noah's hair. "Daddy! HELP!" Noah yelled. "Get HELP!"

Derek walked in from the kitchen and chuckled at the sight. He hurried over to his boys, gently releasing Cole's grasp from Noah's hair. He picked Cole up and looked at him sternly. "Brother bear, you do not pull your brother's hair." Derek opened up Cole's hands to collect the strands of Noah's hair that he had managed to pull out. Derek looked at Noah. "Why did Cole pull your hair?"

Noah shrugged, "Me not know. He bad."

"Uh huh," Derek nodded. "Were you being bossy with him again?" he asked.

Noah shook his head, "No, Daddy. Me nice to him."

Derek nodded, "I bet you were. Cole only pulls your hair when you take his toys from him."

Noah huffed, "He bited Melmo's eyes. Melmo not see! Me telled him no touch my Melmos," he informed his father. He turned his attention back to his show.

Derek looked at Cole sympathetically. He kissed his cheek and whispered, "you got something against Elmo, too?" he asked. Cole giggled, giving his father a sloppy kiss on the nose. Derek wiped his nose on Cole's shirt. "Say Dada," he said.

Cole smiled, "Mama!"

"_You know what I was thinking?" Meredith asked Derek as they stood in the elevator, waiting for their floor._

"_What?" he asked, putting his arm around her. _

"_I was thinking that I may want to know what this baby is before he or she is born."_

_Derek gave her a surprised look. "Really?" _

"_Really, I mean, we didn't find out with Noah and it was a pleasant surprise, but what if it's a girl? We have all this yellow and green neutral colored crap and I'll want to dress her in pink or purple."_

_Derek nodded in understanding. "I thought about that, too."_

_Meredith smiled, "Okay, so at our next appointment, we'll ask the doctor?" she asked._

_Derek gave her a sly look, "Or, we could find out now." Meredith looked at him with a puzzled expression. "The ultrasound tech already left for the day. We could sneak into the room and find out now," he wiggled his eyebrows at her. _

_Meredith giggled as the doors slid open. She grabbed his hand, "Let's go!"_

_Derek and Meredith hurried down the hall to the radiology department. They looked around quickly to make sure that no one was looking and quietly slipped into the ultrasound room. _

_Meredith nervously climbed up on the examination table. She pulled her shirt up and moved her pants down to expose her large stomach. Derek looked at the machine for a moment, figuring out how to turn it on. Meredith giggled at his hesitation. "The neurosurgeon is stumped!" she remarked. _

_Derek chuckled, "I haven't done an ultrasound in years. At least since my residency. Need an MRI or a cat scan, then I'm your man. Aha!" He found the switch, turning the ultrasound machine on. He picked up a bottle of the ultrasound gel and looked at Meredith._

_Meredith settled back on the table and Derek squirted the gel onto her stomach. "Okay, you ready?" he asked._

_Meredith nodded excitedly. "Will it be Cole or Alana," she murmured, watching her husband as he moved the want over her stomach. "Well?" she asked impatiently._

"_Mer, look at this baby's brain," he turned the screen so she could take a look. "It's amazing…and the heart, completely perfect." Derek could feel the tears forming in his eyes as he saw his perfect baby on the screen. _

_Meredith watched as her husband became emotional over seeing their baby. She could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes as well. There was no greater feeling knowing that a new life was growing inside of her. Another life that was created by the love she and Derek shared for one another. _

_Derek moved the wand to the top of her stomach, near the area to the answer they were looking for. Derek smiled at her, "Okay, moment of truth. Will the Shepherd house be three to one or even?" Both stared at the screen, studying the image._

_Meredith gasped as she realized the answer. "Derek! I see it! Do you see it?" she asked. _

_Derek nodded, his mouth in a wide smile. "Yep, plain as day," he chuckled. He looked at Meredith for her reaction. "You're officially outnumbered, my dear," he joked. Derek shut off the machine and disinfected the equipment, putting everything back where it was. He wiped Meredith's stomach off and leaned down to kiss it. "Hello, Cole Derek Shepherd," he murmured._

_Meredith giggled, "It's a boy!" she exclaimed. "Noah's getting a little brother!" _

_Derek nodded, "I have two boys," he said out loud. "Two," he repeated. He leaned down to kiss her lips softly. "Thank you, Meredith, for my boys." Meredith flung her arms around his neck and he nuzzled her neck with his nose. They silently held each other, both thankful for their beautiful family._

"I am starving!" Meredith exclaimed as she plunked down at a table in the cafeteria. Cristina and Izzie looked at her tray in shock. Meredith's tray was loaded with food. They watched as Meredith began to eat her lunch. She looked up, noticing their expressions. "What?" she asked.

"Mer, who did you kill in line to get all that food?" Cristina asked, looking at Meredith's tray in amazement. Izzie giggled at Cristina's comment.

Meredith gave her an annoyed look, "For your information, Cristina, I didn't kill anyone. I am stressing out! This," she motioned to her tray, "is comfort food. I will know next week whether or not I have been accepted at Seattle Grace for my fellowship," she sighed deeply as she stuffed her mouth full of cottage cheese, "and since Cole stopped nursing, my body is craving dairy products. It's the weirdest thing."

Izzie smiled, "You must be a milkaholic. You stopped eating and drinking it because Cole is allergic and the minute a milk product touched your lips again, you were hooked."

Meredith pointed her fork at Izzie. "Exactly," she said with a full mouth.

"What are Noah and Cole doing for Derek for Father's day?" Izzie asked.

Meredith chewed her food and swallowed. "They got him the fishing rod he wanted. He was driving me crazy about it. He would leave his Cabela's magazines open to the page the fishing rod was on. He drew little arrows with a pen, pointing to it. So, I ordered it and it came last week. We're also baking him a cake."

Izzie and Cristina looked at her in horror. "We? God, Mer, spare the man," Cristina moaned.

"What?" Meredith asked. "I can bake a cake."

"No, you can't," Izzie and Cristina said in unison.

Meredith shoved another mouthful of cottage cheese in her mouth, "Whatever," she mumbled. "Then we will buy him a cake or whatever." She opened her bag of chips and shoved a few in her mouth.

"I only hope that McDreamy is teaching the boys table manners," Cristina commented, looking at Meredith in disgust. "You're not even coming up for air."

Meredith ignored her comment and snapped her fingers at her. "Hey, I need you to take my blood." She picked up her drink and took a long drink from her straw, looking at Cristina expectantly.

Cristina raised her eyebrows, "Why do I need to take your blood?" she asked.

"Derek thinks I may be anemic. I'm tired all the time and sometimes when you nurse babies, it can make you anemic. Will you take my blood for me?"

Cristina nodded. "I will, only if you stop eating."

"I can make a cake," Meredith said to Cristina as they waited for her lab results. "How hard can it be? I make chicken nuggets, and salad, and…and," Meredith stopped talking.

"Mer, just go and buy a cake. Get one that needs decorated and buy the cake stuff for the boys to decorate it. McDreamy will like that," she advised.

Meredith's eyes lit up, "You are a genius, Cristina."

"I know," Cristina replied, giving Meredith a smirk. "Why do you think you're anemic again?" Cristina asked, changing the subject.

Meredith shrugged, "I don't think I am; Derek thinks I am. I'm just tired more lately. I've been working longer shifts to get all my hours in. I'm still making up time from having Cole. I promised him I'd at least find out if I need more iron." She tapped her fingers against the counter.

"Lab results, Dr. Yang," the lab technician handed Cristina a piece of paper. Cristina took it, and skimmed over the results. Meredith waited patiently for her to speak.

"Well? Was Derek right?" Meredith asked.

Cristina's eyes grew wide as she was reading, a small smile on her lips. "What is it?" Meredith asked.

Cristina looked up, "Mer, you're going to need more than iron," she said.

"What? What do you mean by more than iron, Cristina?" She demanded, snatching the paper from Cristina's hands.

"More as in prenatal vitamins," Cristina replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She smirked as Meredith's face grew white. "Stressed out over your fellowship, my ass, you're pregnant again."

_Meredith lay sprawled out on the couch watching The Young and the Restless. She was feeling achy that day and Derek had told her to take it easy. And, it was her birthday. Her boys were busy in the kitchen making her dinner. She smiled as she heard the dialect between her husband and son. Derek was a wonderful father, more wonderful than Meredith could have ever imagined. Watching Derek with Noah made her fall more in love with him. She was in deep._

_She watched as Noah walked in the living room, carrying a cupcake. His face was covered in icing, but he had a serious expression on his face. He walked up to her and handed her the cupcake, suddenly beaming widely. "Happy Bufday, Mommy!" he exclaimed._

_Meredith giggled as she took the cupcake from him. "Thanks, Noah. You made me this cupcake for my birthday?" she asked._

_Noah nodded. She giggled at the icing all over his face. She looked at the cupcake thoughtfully, "Where is my icing?" she asked._

"_Me not know," Noah held up hands with his palms up in the air. She smothered her laugh._

_Derek walked into the living room. "Did Tater give you your cupcake?" he asked. _

_Meredith nodded and giggled, holding up the cupcake to show him. "You forgot the icing, though," she complained._

_Derek looked at the cupcake and then looked at Noah. "Noah, my man, what happened to Mommy's icing on her cupcake?"_

"_Me said me not know," Noah replied. Derek felt a smile tugging on his lips. _

"_Hmmm," Derek pretended to think, "When I sent you in with Mommy's cupcake, there was a lot of icing on it because Mommy loves icing. You don't know what happened to it?" _

_Noah looked up at his father with his icing covered face and shook his head. "Nope."_

_Meredith giggled as Derek moved to sit next to her. "I guess we have an icing thief," Meredith said as Derek leaned in to kiss her. Noah patted her leg to get her attention. "Can I have a birthday kiss from you, too?" Noah puckered up his lips like a fish and Meredith leaned in to kiss him. "Yummy! Such a sweet boy," she said, licking her lips. _

_Derek tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to look at him. "I'm a sweet boy, too, Mer," he murmured, putting his arm around her. _

_Meredith giggled, "How sweet?" she taunted him. Derek leaned in to kiss her softly. Meredith pulled away from him. "Hmm, I think your son may be sweeter," she teased. _

"_Right," Derek agreed," But would your son get you this?" He handed her a wrapped jewelry box in the shape of a square. It had a bow wrapped around it. _

"_Open it," Derek prompted._

_Meredith quickly ripped off the bow and wrapping paper. She opened the box and saw a key. She looked at Derek in shock. "What is this?" she held the key up to him. _

"_It's the key to your new Jeep," Derek smiled. "I wanted to get you a new keychain, but Noah said you needed a new car to go with it."_

_Meredith stared at the key. "You got me a new car?" She asked. "Why?"_

_Derek looked at her with caring eyes. "Because I want you and the kids to be safe, Mer. Your old Jeep really isn't reliable anymore and I want you to have a new one."_

"_My car is reliable," she protested._

_Derek cocked his head, "Remember last week when you were stuck in the grocery store parking lot because your battery died and I had to come and get you? What would it have been like if you would have had Noah with you or if it was after dark? I won't feel secure knowing that you're driving around in a car that is not reliable. Please understand that." He looked into her eyes deeply. "I can never lose you and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or the kids."_

_Derek watched as Meredith continued to stare at the key, and felt relief wash over him when she smiled. "Where is it?" she asked._

"_In the garage," he replied. "Mark and Lexie brought it over while you were taking your nap."_

_Derek stood and offered her his hand to help her off the couch. He picked up Noah and followed her through the kitchen and out to the garage. Meredith gasped when she saw her new, shiny, red Jeep. "Oh my God, it's gorgeous!" she exclaimed as she waddled to it. She opened up the driver's door and peered in. "It has lots of room."_

_Derek and Noah walked up next to her. "It has a huge back seat," Derek told her. He wiggled his eyes and nodded towards the back of the car. "We should test it out sometime."_

_Meredith giggled. "Let me actually drive it first, Der, then we can test out the back seat."_

_Derek's eyes lit up at the thought, "Tonight?" he asked hopefully._

"_Tonight," she agreed, pulling his face to hers to kiss him. "Thank you for my present. I love it!"_

"_You are very welcome," he murmured. "I love you. Happy Birthday."_

"_I love you, too." Meredith gave him a sly smile. "Take me for a ride, Derek." _

"Mer, do you understand where babies come from?" Cristina asked sarcastically as they sat in the resident's lounge. Meredith was still trying to absorb the news of being pregnant again.

Meredith glared at her. "I know where babies come from. I don't know how this happened," she said.

"Did you use birth control?" Cristina asked.

Meredith hesitated. "Sometimes," she replied.

Cristina rolled her eyes, "Mer, you know exactly how this happened, then."

"I know! It's just, I've been working crazy hours and I miss my husband so much! Then I get horny and need sex. I page Derek to the on call room, only to find out he doesn't have a condom on him. It would be fine if he didn't do the thing that gets me all hot and bothered. Then one thing leads to another and I'm naked and he's naked," she sighed.

"That happened once?" Cristina asked.

Meredith looked at her guiltily, "More like four or five." Cristina groaned. "Cole is nine months old, Cristina. Nine months old! I will have three babies under the age of four! That's insane!" Meredith wailed.

"What will Derek say?" Cristina asked.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Derek will be ecstatic. He wants, like, eight hundred babies. I don't understand how I'm pregnant. I don't have any symptoms," Meredith protested.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, Mer, you so have the symptoms. You stuff your face every five minutes, you are so tired that you have me take blood to test for anemia, are you kidding?"

Meredith put her head in her hands and moaned. "What am I going to do?" she wailed.

Cristina patted her shoulder sympathetically. "You, my dear, are going to have three babies under the age of four."

Derek and Meredith tucked Noah in and kissed him good night. "Happy Daddy day," Noah murmured as his eyes drooped. Within seconds, he was sound asleep. Meredith giggled.

Derek smiled and kissed his forehead, "Thanks, Tater, I love you," he walked towards the door and waited for Meredith to kiss him good night.

They walked hand in hand to their bedroom, but stopped when they heard Cole babbling in his crib. "He's supposed to be sleeping," Meredith said softly.

Derek smiled, "Go get ready for bed, I'll see what the problem is." He kissed her quickly and watched as she walked into their room. Derek opened Cole's door and saw that he was standing, holding onto his crib for support. "Baby Bear, you should be asleep," Derek informed him, walking over to his crib.

Cole held his arms out to him for Derek to pick him up. Derek smiled and picked him up, carrying him over to the rocking chair. They rocked silently for a few minutes and Derek turned Cole to stand and look at him. "You know what would make my Daddy's day extra special? If a certain Baby Bear would say 'Dada'. Cole giggled at him. "Please?" Derek pleaded.

Cole stood in Derek's lap and patted him on the head. "Dada," he said, smiling brightly.

"Finally!" Derek exclaimed pulling him into a hug.

Meredith clasped her necklace around her neck with the newest baby bootie on the chain. She looked at herself in the mirror, rolling the three charms in between her fingers. She had went to the jewelry store earlier that day and purchased another baby bootie with the appropriate birthstone. She had decided to buy it now as a way to tell Derek about the baby, and take the charm back once they knew the baby's name and birth date to have it engraved.

"I love my new fishing rod. How'd you know I wanted it?" Derek joked from the bedroom. He pulled the blankets down on his side of the bed and stole Meredith's pillow. "Not like I dropped any hints or anything," he chuckled, settling on his side of the bed.

Meredith giggled as she walked out of the bathroom and crawled on top of him. She kissed him fully on the lips. "I'm glad you liked it."

Derek smiled into her eyes, "I also loved my cake my boys decorated for me. That was very thoughtful," he kissed her again.

"I'm glad you had a special day," Meredith nuzzled her nose in his neck.

Derek ran his hands up and down her back, "I've missed you lately, Mer," he said softly. " I know you're busy trying to get all your hours in at the hospital, but when you are able to, we should take the kids on a vacation or something. Get away as a family."

Meredith smiled, "That sounds like a great idea because I'm psychic."

Derek gave her a weird look, "Huh?"

Meredith giggled, "I'm psychic. I can see into our future and let me tell you, our future looks pretty busy."

"Really?" Derek asked. "Busier than it already is? Your crystal ball says that?"

Meredith shook her head. "Not my crystal ball, my necklace." She pointed to her necklace around her neck.

Derek smiled as her touched the charms, not fully realizing that another had been added. "Those boys will keep us busy," he chuckled. Then he looked confused. "Why is there three…" Realization washed over his face as it registered in his brain the meaning of the additional charm.

"Meredith," he gasped, looking up at her. "There's another charm on your necklace."

Meredith nodded. "You told me it was expandable. I could add more charms if we ever had more kids."

Derek's mouth hung open. "Meredith…Mer…what…" he motioned for her to get off of him so he could get out of the bed. She quickly moved to her side, watching as he jumped off the bed and paced the room.

"Derek, are you alright?" she asked becoming slightly nervous at his reaction.

Derek stopped pacing and stared at her. "We're having another baby?" he whispered, raking his fingers through his hair.

Meredith nodded and swallowed hard, "I-is that o-okay?" she stuttered with wide eyes.

Derek looked up at her. "A baby? Another baby? Holy shit!" Meredith watched as Derek's face went from shock to pure excitement as he jumped back into bed with her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her passionately until they were both gasping for air.

"Is that okay?" Meredith repeated softly, looking into his eyes.

"God, yes, Meredith. You just shocked the hell out of me. I didn't expect it at all. How long have you known?" He asked, kissing her forehead.

"A few days. I wouldn't have found out if you hadn't asked that I have my blood checked. That's why I'm so hungry and tired all the time. We're having another baby."

"We're having another baby," Derek repeated, smiling at her. "You never cease to amaze me, Meredith. I love you," he kissed her, "I love you," he kissed her again, "I love you."

Meredith looked at him. "I love you, too" she said.

Derek looked at her with tears in his eyes, "Thank you. You've made me the happiest man alive."

**Ok, first of all, thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments! I adored them, so keep it up! I had originally wanted to put off the third baby until later, but what the hell, the best things in life are unexpected, right?**

**Don't forget to leave me love!!!**


	16. Growing Up

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.**

**Thanks to everyone for the reviews. I greatly appreciate them. One more update before a leave for vacation tomorrow!**

**Chapter Fifteen: **

Meredith awoke when she felt someone's little hand patting her face. She opened one eye and looked into the green eyes of her one year old who was watching her intently as he sucked on his pacifier. When he saw that she was awake he pulled the pacifier out of his mouth. "Hi," he said, giving her a smile that showed off his two bottom teeth.

"Hmm, morning Cole, give Mommy ten more minutes, okay?" She buried her face in her pillow and gave a sleepy sigh. She felt someone shift in the bed behind her. She turned over to look. Derek was beside her in the bed, fast asleep. Meredith turned back around to peer at Cole. She wondered how he got out of his crib. Meredith reached over to shake Derek awake. "Derek, get up. Get up."

Derek lifted his head from his pillow and gave her an alarmed look. "What? What's wrong?"

"Did you get Cole out of his crib?" She asked.

Derek gave her a puzzled look. "No," he said slowly, "I was sleeping until you woke me up."

Meredith sat up, pulling Cole onto the bed. "How'd he get here?"

Cole giggled when he saw his father. "Hi, Da!" Cole waved at him.

Derek rolled over onto his back and sat up. His hair was wild with sleep. Derek smiled, reaching for him. "Good morning, Baby Bear. Did Noah get you out of your bed this morning?"

Cole shook his head and Derek gave Meredith a confused look. He got out of bed and left their bedroom. He walked down the hall to Noah's room and found him sound asleep in bed. He walked back to their bedroom, scratching his head in thought. "Noah's still in bed," Derek announced. "The little monster must have gotten out by himself." Derek settled back in bed and stood Cole up to look at him. "Baby Bear got out of his cage," he joked, blowing a raspberry on Cole's stomach, making him giggle. "Alert the zoo keeper," he called. "A bear is on the loose!"

Meredith frowned, "How do you think he got out?" she asked.

Derek shrugged, "No idea," he looked him over, studying his head, stomach and back. "He doesn't have any visible injuries. No bruising or scratches." Derek picked up Cole and walked him over to the window, peering in his eyes at the sudden brightness. "No concussion, either. I think he's okay."

Meredith giggled, "Passed his exam, Dr. Shepherd?"

Derek smiled at her, "With flying colors. He's a good looking kid. He must have a good looking father." He winked at her as he carried Cole out of their bedroom.

Meredith rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, no doubt in my mind."

************************************************************************

"Good morning," Meredith greeted her family as she walked into the kitchen. The aroma of pancakes entered her nostrils and she stopped to savor it. She could feel her stomach growling at the thought of breakfast. She was starving.

"Hi!" Cole waved from his high chair. Pieces of pancake and syrup were all over his face.

"Hi, Mommy," Noah called from his seat at the table. He looked up from his "ABC Elmo" book and winked at her. It was obvious that he was imitating his father.

"Hi, boys, what's for breakfast?" Meredith asked them, kissing both on the top of their heads.

Derek looked up from the newspaper he was reading with an alarmed look on his face. "Mer, I totally forgot. I know you're sick but the boys wanted pancakes this morning." He jumped up from his chair and hurried to stand beside her, brushing her hair out of her face. "Forgive me? I can get you some crackers if you'd like," he said softly.

Meredith smiled at him. "Derek, I'm not sick. I'm actually really hungry." Derek gave her a surprised look. "I can eat pancakes this morning," she confessed.

Derek cocked his head to the side giving her a smile, "Seriously?"

She nodded, "Seriously."

Derek kissed her quickly, "Okay, then, have a seat and I'll get your breakfast." Derek led Meredith to her chair at the table and pulled out the seat for her. He motioned for her to sit and gently pushed the chair in under her.

Meredith giggled. "Thank you, waiter," she joked. "I'll be sure to tip you well." She turned to look at him and wiggled her eyebrows.

Derek growled at her as he put her pancakes on her plate. "If you're the one who is giving the tips, I don't want money. Some late night loving will do. "

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Why do you have to dirty everything up?"

Derek chuckled as he placed her plate in front of her. He kissed the top of her head and leaned towards her ear. "Because you make it impossible not to," he murmured, brushing his lips against her earlobe. "I'm picturing you naked right this second."

Meredith stared at him as he sat back down in his seat. "There has to be something wrong with you," she said with her mouth full. Derek watched her with wide eyes as she inhaled the three pancakes that he put on her plate. Within minutes, the food was gone and Meredith was giving him an expectant look. "Are there any more left?" she asked.

Derek shook his head, "Sorry, my love, that was it."

Meredith sighed and looked at Cole, whose plate was empty. She then turned to Noah and forked a bite of his pancake and shoved it in her mouth. Derek gave his wife an amused look and pushed his plate of half eaten pancakes towards her. "Here, I think you need these more than me," he joked.

Meredith glared at him, but pulled his plate towards her. "I am eating for two, you know," she informed him.

_Derek walked into the kitchen from the garage carrying a tub of fried chicken and a variety of sides. Meredith had called him before he left the hospital telling him her latest craving and to pick some up before he came home. He plunked her order down on the island in the kitchen and grimaced at the thought of deep fried chicken and how bad it was for the arteries. "Mer, I'm home!" he called._

_Meredith rushed into the kitchen with a relieved expression on her face. "Oh, thank God! I thought you were never going to get here!" she exclaimed, ripping the lid off the bucket of chicken and grabbing a drumstick. She took a big bite and closed her eyes, moaning at the taste. _

"_And to think you used to be that excited about me coming home," Derek joked, hanging up his coat. _

_Meredith giggled and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fully on the lips. "Sorry, sweetie, but I have been craving this all day. Those Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials really suck you in."_

_Derek chuckled. "Those places know how to sell a product. They play their commercials when they know women are home watching soap operas all day."_

_Meredith glared at him. Derek looked away, becoming suddenly afraid of his wife. Why the hell did he have to open his mouth? He should have just shut up and delivered his wife her chicken. Now, hormonal Meredith had been rudely awoken. _

_Meredith put her hands on her hips and huffed, "Are you insinuating that the only thing women do is sit at home all day, watch soaps, and eat food?" she demanded._

"_No…no, I'm not saying that," Derek replied, trying to choose the right words carefully. "All I'm saying is that places like this." he motioned to the fried chicken bucket, "know when to air their commercials." Nope, bad answer._

"_Derek Shepherd, how do you think your mother would respond to that statement?" Meredith asked. She picked up her cell phone and began to dial._

"_What are you doing?" Derek asked, slightly alarmed._

"_I am calling your mother," Meredith replied._

"_No, Mer, don't call my mom," Derek pleaded. Hormonal Meredith was bad enough. He didn't need his mother chewing him out either. _

"_I think she needs to know that her only son, the son that she adores no less, believes that all women do is sit at home and watch soaps all day," Meredith said, waiting for Derek's mother to pick up. "Hey, Carolyn, it's Meredith…oh, I'm fine, Noah is wonderful. Your son is lacking oxygen, or all the hair care products have killed what brain cells he has left.." Meredith glared at him. _

"_Meredith," Derek groaned._

"_Oh, get this," Meredith continued, "I called Derek because I was craving fried chicken. The commercial came on…yeah, that's the one. The commercial that shows the new grilled chicken…yeah…the commercial came on today during our soaps. It sucked me in and I called my wonderful, considerate husband and asked him very nicely to pick me up some. Then guess what that wonderful, considerate husband told me about women…" Derek hung his head in shame, listening as his wife told his mother what he said. He closed his eyes, waiting to hear the explosion from New York. _

"_Tell me about it, Carolyn. He talked me into having another baby and he pulls this crap. Yeah, he's right here…okay." Meredith hands him her phone. "Your mother would like to speak to you, Derek," she said. Derek reached for her phone and held it in his hand. He watched Meredith grab the bucket of chicken off the counter and shoot him a glare as she walked by him and into the living room._

_Derek cleared his throat, "Hi, Mom…I know…I know…women do not sit at home all day and watch soaps…I know she's pregnant with my baby…I know…I'm sorry."_

Derek covered up Cole with his blanket. "Have a good nap, Baby Bear. Sweet Dreams," Derek gave him his pacifier and quietly left his room. He glanced into the room across the hall where Meredith was putting Noah down for his nap. He had an idea as to how Cole had gotten out of his crib that morning. Derek motioned for Meredith to come to him when he saw her emerge from Noah's bedroom. Meredith quietly came across the hall and put her arm around his waist as Derek slowly opened Cole's door. Both peered into the room and Meredith covered her mouth to repress a giggle at the sight.

Cole was standing in his crib, piling up his blankets to make it easier for him to get over the railing of his crib. He grabbed his stuffed duck and teddy bear and made the pile higher. His parents watched as Cole held onto the crib rail and stepped up his pile. He swung one leg over the side, adjusted his grip and moved leg the other over. He slid down the side of the crib, holding on until his feet hit the carpet.

Oblivious to an audience, he looked around his room at his toys. He spied his pop up books and plopped down in front of his book case with his back turned away from his parents. He started to babble out loud to himself, pretending to read. Derek and Meredith looked at each other and smiled. The kid was busted. Caught red handed.

Meredith pulled Derek down the hall with wide eyes. "Derek, what do we do?"

Derek chuckled, "it looks as though it's time to get our baby a big boy bed." His eyes softened when he saw the tears in his wife's eyes. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Honey, it's okay. He can't stay a baby forever," he murmured, rubbing his hands up and down her back.

"Yes he can," Meredith's voice was muffled against his chest. "He's my baby." She wiped her nose on his shirt. "He can't grow up."

Derek pushed her face up with his hand to look in her eyes, "Mer," he moved his other hand to her stomach, rubbing it softly, "your baby…our baby is in here," he said. Meredith started crying again and he pulled her back into his chest. "It's okay. Just think who'll get the crib next. Maybe we'll get our girl," he murmured in her ear.

Meredith giggled at the thought. "Hmm, a girl, that would definitely be a change around here," Meredith murmured.

"A good change," Derek agreed. "The boys would be very protective over their little sister."

Meredith groaned, "Two older brothers. Her boyfriends will run for the hills."

Derek frowned, "There will be no boyfriends anywhere near her. My boys and I will make sure of that.

Meredith squeezed him tightly around the waist, "She would be Daddy's little girl."

Derek nodded, "That's the plan."

Meredith pulled his face to hers to kiss him. "You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better," she said.

"I'm just good like that," Derek replied. "Now, come on. Let's go and read books with Cole."

_Derek and Meredith walked into the cafeteria to grab a quick lunch so that they could go to the daycare to eat with Noah. Meredith groaned as they approached the line, becoming aware of the group of annoying residents in front of them. The residents were standing with their backs towards them. Derek rubbed her back sympathetically when she noticed Steve. Derek knew he rubbed her the wrong way. __He quietly handed her a tray, careful not to draw attention to he or Meredith._

"_Dr. Grey definitely has a stick up her rear today," Steve told the other interns. "She bitched at me this morning because I was late for rounds. I'm just glad that she didn't assign me to enemas and rectal exams."_

_The interns chuckled at what Steve was saying. Derek looked at Meredith in alarm to see her reaction. Her eyes had turned the deepest shade of green that he had ever seen. Her mouth was clenched tightly. "I don't know how Dr. Shepherd handles her bitchiness. If I had to live with that, I'd lock myself in a closet," Steve continued. _

_Derek looked at Meredith again. She eyes were boring holes in Steve's back. She looked at him, silently asking permission to let Steve have it. Derek gave her a slight nod, giving her the okay. Meredith moved up in line so that she was directly behind Steve. "Well, Dr. Mostow, since you've declared your feelings for me so openly, I will make sure that you are on my service for the remainder of the year," she said sweetly. Steve turned around to find himself face to face with Dr. Grey and Dr. Shepherd. Dr. Grey's face was flush with anger while Dr. Shepherd looked at him, shaking his head with a slight smirk on his face. "I overheard you tell your friends that you loved enemas and rectal exams, so consider that your duty from now on." The residents jumped slightly as Meredith slammed her tray down on the counter. " Oh, and don't think for one minute that you're getting off easy while I'm on maternity leave either. Dr. Yang will be made aware of this arrangement and she will make sure that my orders are carried on while I'm away."_

_Derek glanced at the group of wide eyed residents and silently chuckled to himself. The looks on their faces were priceless. It was hilarious how much his wife scared them. He watched as Meredith grabbed the pudding off of Steve's tray. "You took the last chocolate pudding. Too bad it's mine now." She turned towards her husband. "Got your lunch?" she asked. Derek nodded as his wife turned to leave. _

_Derek leaned in to Steve, "Please do not disrespect my wife like that in public again, Dr. Mostow. Your behavior today was uncalled for and completely unprofessional. I, too, will make sure my wife's orders for you are followed while she is on maternity leave. Have a great lunch." He hurried up to meet his wife at the door._

"Mer, the movie is on! Get the popcorn!" Derek called from the sofa. Both kids were in bed and Derek suggested a movie night. He loved the idea of spending an evening with his wife, cuddling together on the couch. Meredith hurried into the living room with a big bowl of popcorn and three bottled waters.

Derek looked at the water and chuckled. "Why three bottles? You invite someone to join us tonight?" He put his arm around her as she snuggled into his chest. "You smell good," he murmured. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in.

"One of the bottles is for you and the other two are mine," she informed him. "I have been super thirsty lately and I didn't feel like getting up halfway through the movie. Derek, hands above the waist," she swatted his hand away that was venturing down to the waist band of her pants. "I knew you had a hidden agenda when you wanted to watch a movie."

"True," he agreed. "I can never get enough of you." His hand moved up her body and cupped her breast.

Meredith swatted his hand away again. "What did I say?" she demanded.

"You said hands above the waist," Derek argued, rubbing her breast gently. "These are above the waist."

Meredith wiggled out of his embrace and moved to the opposite side of the couch. Derek watched her as she settled at the other end. Meredith giggled when she saw the pout on his face. "What's the matter?" she asked coyly.

He looked her up and down and his eyes stopped when they met hers. He gave her his McDreamy look and she could feel herself melt. She rolled her eyes and opened her arms up to him. "Behave yourself," she warned.

Derek smiled brightly and pounced at her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and nuzzling his nose in her neck. "Love you," he murmured in her ear.

Shortly into the movie, the feel of her husband's strong arms around her did something to Meredith. She could feel her body start to become overcome with desire for him. She cursed her pregnancy hormones for it. The feelings were sudden and very intense.

She scanned his body up and down out of the corner of her eye. He was engrossed in the movie, not aware that her focus was on him. She smiled to herself as she moved her foot towards his crotch, rubbing up and down the inside of his thigh softly. He put his hand on her leg and rubbed it affectionately, his eyes still glued to the television. She moved her foot closer to his crotch and began to rub him in that area. She could feel him becoming aroused with her foot. She reached her arm around him to run her fingers through his hair.

Derek looked up at her suddenly with a hopeful expression. She looked back at him with lust in her eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked with a smirk.

"I want you," she murmured, pulling his face to hers to kiss him, "in the worst way."

She moved to straddle him, capturing his lips with hers and kissing him deeply. Her tongue entered his mouth and met with his. Derek let out a soft moan as their kiss deepened. He moved his hands under her shirt and up her back, quickly unhooking her bra. He massaged her breasts as he placed kisses along her neck and collar bone. Meredith gave a slight moan at his mouth against her skin.

"I love you," she murmured. "We should make movie night a ritual."

"I love you, too," he replied. He pulled away for a moment and looked at her. He gave her a coy smile. "Movie night, every night," he said, pulling her face back to his for a kiss.

**Okay, I am leaving for vacation today. BUT, I will be back on Tuesday with a refreshed mind and new ideas for this story. Don't forget to leave comments!**


	17. Elevator Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy**

**Chapter Sixteen: **

"Who did this?" Meredith demanded, pointing at the stain on the living room carpet. Her four year old and nineteen month old looked up at her with innocent expressions. Neither said a word. "Who did this?" Meredith repeated, raising her voice. Her pregnancy hormones caused her patience to run thin a lot quicker than usual. Especially since the baby was due to come almost a week ago. Meredith felt as big as a house.

"Not me," Noah shook his head. "It was Cole. I sawed him do it." Cole looked at his brother with wide eyes.

"No," Cole replied. "It Noee." He pointed to Noah accusingly.

"No! I didn't do it, Cole! Stop telling fibbers to Mommy!" Noah glared at his brother.

Meredith sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Somebody did it," she snapped. "This stain just didn't appear on it's own. One of you had better fess up now." She moved her hands to her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"

"It was Daddy," Noah replied. "He did it, Mommy. He spillded his jucy right there," he pointed to the stain.

"Daddy did it?" Meredith asked. Noah nodded. "Daddy was drinking your juice?" Noah nodded again. Meredith raised her eyebrows at her son's accusations. There was only one way to find out the truth. "Well, then, I guess I'll just have to call Daddy and yell at him," Meredith pulled her phone out of her pocket and started to dial.

"Wait!" Noah announced. Meredith stopped dialing to look at him. Noah sighed, "I did it, Mommy. I is very, very sorry." His eyes shifted to the floor, avoiding his mother's stare.

Meredith's heart melted at her son's confession. There was no possible way that she could be mad at him, her baby. She leaned over and put her finger under his chin, forcing him to look at her. "It's okay, Noah. Thank you for telling me the truth. Just do me a favor.." she paused.

"What, Mommy?" Noah asked.

"If you spill something on the floor, tell me. Blaming it on your brother and your Daddy just gets you in trouble. Okay?"

Noah smiled, "Okay!" He wrapped his arms around her and Cole hugged her from the other side. "Mommy, you really fat!" Noah exclaimed happily.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I know, sweet pea, I know," she sighed. Boy did she know.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

"I can't believe that little munchkin tried to blame it on me," Derek chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. He pulled the comforter down on his side and settled in bed. "Did you punish him?" He asked Meredith as he picked up the book he was reading and flipped it to the page where he left off. Meredith was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Derek waited for her to answer, but she didn't. He waited a few more moments. "Mer?" he called out. He looked up as she walked out of the bathroom. She had a shocked look on her face. "What?" he asked, his voice slightly becoming alarmed.

"I lost my mucus plug," Meredith informed him. "At first I wasn't sure, but then I had a contraction. A crappy, horribly painful one." Meredith sat down on the bed beside him and watched as his face spread in a wide smile. "What?"

"We're having a baby," Derek informed her, sitting up straight in bed.

Meredith gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah…I know. Are you just realizing this now? Where've you been the past forty one weeks?"

Derek shook his head, "No, Meredith. I meant we're having a baby today."

A smile of realization crossed over Meredith's face. "We're having a baby today," she repeated. She suddenly clutched her stomach. "Today," she repeated.

Derek looked at the clock. "When was the last contraction, Mer?" He rubbed her arm soothingly.

"Like five minutes ago," she moaned. "I think this is it. I think it's time."

Derek nodded and quickly got out of bed. "I'll call Dr. Werner and Izzie. She's on standby to come and stay with the boys."

Meredith nodded, "I'll finish packing," she said.

Derek gave her a shocked look. "You're not packed yet?"

Meredith put her hands on her hips, "No, I'm not. Derek, now is not the time to criticize your wife for not packing."

Derek walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "Just saying, Mer. You had nine months to pack," he reminded her.

"Thank you, oh observant husband of mine. You've had four minutes to make phone calls. I don't see you making them," she snapped.

"Right away, dear," he answered, kissing her cheek. He picked up his phone and dialed the doctor. Meredith grimaced as she felt another contraction coming on. She had a feeling this baby would be here sooner than later.

_Meredith laid on the examination table as Dr. Werner moved the ultrasound wand over her stomach. She looked over at Derek, who was staring at the screen in anticipation. _

"_This baby looks wonderful," Dr. Werner said. "All of the organs look perfect. The heart shows four chambers, the spine and brain show no signs of abnormalities. The only thing I'm not seeing is the genitalia. The baby has it's legs closed…tightly."_

"_Are you sure?" Derek whined. _

_Dr. Werner pointed to the area on the screen. "See?"_

_Derek and Meredith nodded. "Well, it must be a girl then," Derek commented. "Difficult like her mother. She'd better keep those legs closed tightly through her teenaged years."_

_Meredith snapped her head to look at him. "You so did not just say that, Derek Shepherd."_

_Derek looked quickly at Dr. Werner, who kept his eyes on the screen with a slight smile on his face. "Sorry, dear," Derek put his head down. He heard Dr. Werner chuckle softly. _

"_Why would you say that, Derek? Have you lost your mind?" she demanded._

"_Yes, I have," Derek agreed. "What I said was completely inappropriate."_

"_Yes, it was," she glared at him and looked back at Dr. Werner. "Everything is good, then?"_

_Dr. Werner nodded. "Everything looks great." He glanced at Derek quickly with a smirk. "But baby's legs are closed, so I can't tell if it's a boy or a girl."_

_Meredith rolled her eyes. "I hope for my sanity it's a girl. I'm currently raising two more of him," she motioned with her thumb at Derek. "at home."_

_Derek studied the wall while Dr. Werner wiped the gel off of Meredith's stomach. Derek stood up and held Meredith under her arm to help her sit up. She gave Derek one last disapproving look before sliding off the table. _

_Dr. Werner opened the door for them. "See you next month," he said. _

"_You'll definitely see me, Dr. Werner, but I'm not so sure about my husband here. He's currently living on borrowed time," Meredith informed the doctor. _

_Dr. Werner nodded in understanding, but gave Derek's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze as he walked by. "Hang in there, Dr. Shepherd," he said softly, so that Meredith couldn't hear. _

_Derek nodded slowly, acknowledging the doctor's words. "I may need a script for valium before this is over," he muttered. Dr. Werner burst out laughing._

"Sorry I'm late," Izzie said breathlessly, rushing through the door and into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw Meredith sitting at the kitchen table, breathing through a contraction while Derek held her hand and whispered soothing words to her. He looked up at Izzie as Meredith look a deep breath when her contraction ended. "Of all nights to have engine problems, the ferry chooses tonight," Izzie complained.

"It's alright, Iz," Derek said. "Did they get it fixed?"

Izzie shook her head. "No, they are detouring traffic around the island."

Derek sighed. "That's an extra twenty minutes added onto our trip, Mer. We have to go."

Meredith nodded, getting up slowly. "Thanks for coming, Iz. We appreciate it." Meredith said weakly. She clutched her stomach again as another contraction hit her. Derek rubbed her back as she leaned into him, breathing through the contraction.

Izzie looked at Derek in alarm. "Her contractions are about two minutes apart. Derek, she's going fast."

Derek nodded. "I know. I've got to get her to the hospital." He waited for the contraction to go away before he attempted to move Meredith towards the door to the garage.

Izzie followed with Meredith's overnight bag. "Call me when you get there, that way I know you guys made it safely."

Meredith gave Izzie a weak smile, "Bye, Iz. Cross your fingers that I get my girl."

Izzie nodded, "Fingers and toes are crossed, Mer. Good luck."

Izzie watched as Derek pulled the Jeep out of the garage. She silently prayed that Meredith made it in time.

Derek held Meredith's hand as he cautiously sped down the road in route to the hospital. Meredith's contractions were coming consistently every two minutes apart, making Derek panic slightly because he knew that when contractions were that close together, a baby would be coming soon. Especially a third baby. Meredith gripped his hand tightly, trying to remain focused as pain overwhelmed her body. "Derek, I don't think I'm going to make it," she gasped as she grimaced in pain.

Derek looked over at her quickly before returning his gaze back to the road. "Tell me if we need to stop, honey. Just tell me what you need."

"Just, please hurry. I don't want to have this baby in my Jeep." Meredith moaned. "Then I'll have to get it cleaned."

Derek smiled slightly at his wife's comment as he rushed around the island road. "We'll be there in about ten minutes," he informed her.

Meredith nodded quickly as another contraction started. She grabbed his hand tightly again as she breathed through the pain. "I can't believe I'm doing this again," she wailed. "Why would I deliberately do this to myself again, Derek? I think I need my head checked."

"You're doing this again because you know that the pain is temporary and you will get a beautiful baby as an end result of this," Derek told her.

"Just shut up, Derek, God! Don't tell me what I'm thinking. You have no idea about the pain, not even a clue," she said.

"Sorry," Derek muttered, turning towards the hospital signs leading to Seattle Grace Hospital.

"Distract me," she demanded. "Talk to me about something to keep my mind off of the pain."

Derek cleared his throat, "What do you want me to talk to you about?" he asked.

"Lord, Derek, I don't know! Pick something!" she demanded. "Tell me what were you like in high school?"

Derek gave her a look. "Um…I was shy all through high school. I wore a band uniform and played the saxophone. My mom made me practice every day." He stopped talking and looked over at Meredith as she breathed through another contraction.

"Keep going," she finally said. "Did you have a girlfriend in high school?"

Derek chuckled. "No, I think the afro scared them away. They wouldn't touch me with a ten foot pole. I was skinny and had acne. I was a mess."

Meredith managed to smile, "I think you turned out okay." She squeezed his hand lightly.

Derek smiled, "It's too bad we didn't know each other back then. We could have been a hot item." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Meredith laughed tiredly, "Not so much, honey. I wore lots of black, had pink hair, and cut class all the time. Band geeks were at the top of my list to make fun of. We definitely wouldn't have been a hot item."

Derek rolled his eyes, "Good to know, Mer." He picked up his phone and dialed. "Yes, this is Dr. Shepherd. I'm bringing my wife in and she is in active labor. Please have someone meet me a the entrance of the emergency room with a wheel chair. We'll be there in five minutes. Thank you." Derek ended the call.

"Besides, when you were a high school band geek, I was in grade school, playing with my Anatomy Jane," Meredith continued. "Oh, no!" she yelped.

"What?" Derek asked in a panicked voice.

"My water just broke all over my seat," Meredith moaned. "My car seat is ruined!"

"We'll get it cleaned," Derek informed her, pulling into a spot in the emergency room parking lot. He put the brakes on quickly and groaned inwardly at who was waiting for them at the entrance with a wheelchair. This could get interesting.

_Meredith walked back in forth in front of her residents with her arms crossed over her chest and a pissed off expression on her face. "I wanted to take this time to thank you all for your hard work yesterday."_

_A few of the residents nodded in appreciation. "Th-thank you, D-Dr. Grey," Steve stuttered. _

_Meredith spun around to look at him. "I was being sarcastic, Dr. Mostow! The work you all did yesterday was crap!" The group of residents all looked at the floor in embarrassment. "How am I supposed to explain to Dr. Bailey about the messiness of these charts?" Meredith motioned towards a pile of charts at the nurses station counter. "Or, why no supplies were stocked? How long have we all worked here? What is expected of us?"_

_Derek caught sight of the scene as he walked up the hall, but went unnoticed by his wife as he leaned against the counter at the far corner. He and a nurse exchanged amused glances as his pregnant wife reamed out the group of residents _

"_Do you think I like being humiliated by residents that don't know their asses from holes in the ground?"_

"_No ma'am," one of the residents said._

"_Do you think I like explaining to Dr. Bailey why my residents do crappy work?"_

"_No," another resident answered. A few cleared their throat._

"_Then I suggest that you all get with the freaking program and fix the crap you created!" Meredith demanded. Several of the residents hurried to grab charts off the pile while the others scurried to the supplies to see what needed stocked. _

_Meredith sighed heavily when the residents fled the scene, but looked up quickly and into the fearful eyes of Steve Mostow. "What do you want?" she demanded._

"_D-Dr. G-Grey. I'm…uh…please forgive me about what happened a few weeks ago…uh…you know, in the l-line in the c-cafeteria. I-I didn't…um…say, I mean…I…didn't mean to…to say those things about y-you," he stuttered._

_Meredith put her hands on her hips, "So, you didn't mean to say that I had a stick up my ass, or that if you had to deal with my bitchiness the way my husband does you'd lock yourself in a closet?"_

_Steve's face turned a deep shade of red. "Uh…no ma'am. I didn't mean to say those things. They were…um…hurtful and…and, I wasn't thinking. Is there any way I can m-make it up to…to you?"_

_Meredith watched the doctor stutter over his apology and felt her anger slowly diminish. It must have taken a lot for him to gather up the nerve to apologize to her. Still, she didn't let him know that. "You want to make it up to me?" she asked with a smirk._

_Steve shook his head vigorously. "Yes, yes, I do."_

"_Fine then. You can get me a strawberry milkshake. Extra thick and don't forget the straw."_

"_Yes, yes, right away, Dr. Grey," Steve hurried away in the direction of the cafeteria. _

_Meredith turned as she heard her husband's laughter behind her. "What's so funny?" she demanded._

"_That whole conversation," Derek answered. "It was hilarious."_

_Meredith glared at her husband. "Glad to see that my defected residents bring you humor, Dr. Shepherd. All of them will be on your service for the rest of the day. Humor that."_

_Derek stopped laughing abruptly. "What?"_

"_You heard me, Dr. Shepherd. My four residents are on your service for the rest of the day." She asked the nurse for her patient's chart. The nurse smiled as she gave it to her. _

"_Enjoy the rest of your day, Dr. Shepherd," Meredith said sweetly._

_Derek stood with his mouth slightly open, watching her walk away. He suddenly smirked at her. "You know, they call you the new Nazi, Dr. Grey."_

_Meredith looked back at him and gave him a satisfied smile. "So, I've heard," she replied, swinging her hips at him as she walked away._

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asked Steve as Derek helped her out of the car.

"Meredith," Derek said.

"I…I'm here to take you up to obstetrics," Steve informed Meredith. "Please have a seat, Dr. Grey." Meredith stood still, giving Steve a disgusted look

"Meredith, sit down in the wheel chair," Derek prompted softly. "We have to get you upstairs".

"Dr. Mostow, are you capable of getting me to the forth floor?" Meredith demanded, closing her eyes and breathing steadily as another contraction started.

"Yes, Dr. Grey, I th-think I'm capable," Steve replied.

Meredith sighed and allowed Derek to lower her into the seat. She suddenly felt another contraction come on and clutched her stomach. "Ouch, holy crap! Then, move it!" she exclaimed in pain. Derek quickly grabbed Meredith's overnight bag and followed them to the elevator.

As they waited for the elevator to get to their floor, Meredith suddenly gasped in pain. "Derek," she moaned. "Derek," she reached for him.

"What is it, Mer?" he asked, kneeling to her eye level.

"The baby is coming now. Right freaking now!" She announced.

"Ok, Mer, we're almost there. Hold on, baby," Derek soothed her. The elevator sounded and the doors slid open. Once inside, Meredith shifted uncomfortably and gripped the handles of the wheel chair tightly, moving her body so that her pelvis hung at the edge of the chair.

"No… Derek…Ouch! Crap! The baby's head is coming out! Dear God!" she gritted her teeth.

Derek peered between her legs and saw his baby's head full of hair. The baby was crowning. "Yep, you're right Meredith, push for me. That's great, honey, here it comes. Steve, give me your lab coat to wrap the baby in," Derek ordered as he gently eased the baby from Meredith's body and into the world. "Hello, Sweetheart," Derek murmured to the baby as cries sounded in the elevator Steve quickly ripped off his coat and helped Derek wrap the baby up.

Steve looked down at the sight with wide eyes. He looked at Meredith, whose face was washed with relief that the pain was over. He looked at Derek who was talking softly to the baby while cleaning it off. Then he looked at the mess on the floor…and then, Steve hit the floor.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

Derek was in love with two women. Derek never thought that he could love another woman as much as he loved Meredith, but suddenly, those thoughts were proven wrong by the eight pound baby girl in his arms. Hannah Grey Maloney Shepherd was the spitting image of her mother and already had her father wrapped around her little finger.

"Derek," Meredith's voice was full with sleep. "Is she alright?"

"She is unbelievable, Meredith. Perfect." Derek answered, smiling widely at his wife. "The most beautiful baby in the world."

"Are you sure she's a girl?" Meredith asked.

Derek chuckled. "Positive. I just changed her diaper."

"Good," Meredith sighed with here eyes closed. "I'm so tired."

Derek smiled, "Having a baby in an elevator will do that to you." he joked.

She turned to look at him. "Did you get any sleep?"

Derek shook his head, "No, I've pretty much been on a high since I delivered our daughter. Did you see me? I kicked ass."

Meredith giggled lightly, "Definitely rock star material, honey. How is Steve?"

"He'll be fine. He had a slight concussion, but Cristina is giving him things to do to keep him awake." Derek answered.

Meredith sighed. "Poor guy, we probably scarred him for life."

Derek snickered. "Nah, he'll be fine." He gently forced Hannah's hand open to allow her to clutch his finger. "When he was up and walking again, he came right to the nursery to see her."

"Seriously?" Meredith asked.

"Seriously," Derek replied. He got out of his seat and placed the baby in her mother's arms. His blue eyes locked with his wife's green ones.

"What?" Meredith asked with a slight smile.

Derek tucked her hair behind her ear. "I love you," he murmured, gently getting into bed with his wife.

Meredith shifted in bed so that he had more room. "I love you, too."

"Did you ever think we'd get to this point?" he asked her.

"What point?" she asked.

"Being married, a home, kids, a life together?" Derek explained.

"It's all I've ever wanted since meeting you," Meredith replied, leaning in to kiss his lips.

Derek smiled in satisfaction. "Me, too," he replied. "Since the moment I laid my eyes on you." Derek nuzzled his nose in his wife's neck.

"Do you hear your corny Daddy?" Meredith whispered softly to her daughter. "You've got a corny Daddy and two wild brothers."

Derek traced Hannah's cheek with his finger, "Be careful, Princess. They're sneaky little monsters. They'll spill juice on the carpet and blame you."

"And they fight like cats and dogs," Meredith added.

"Let's take a nap together before the sneaky monsters arrive," Derek suggested.

"Great idea," Meredith replied, putting Hannah in between she and Derek. She laid so that she faced him.

Derek leaned over to give her a deep kiss. He then leaned down and kissed Hannah's head full of light hair. "Good night, angel." He looked back up at Meredith and watched as her eyes drooped and she started snoring.

Derek closed his eyes, exhausted after the day's events. He had delivered his daughter; he had actually brought her into the world. In an elevator. The same elevator that he had proposed to Meredith in years ago. The place where he and Meredith realized their love for one another. Derek smiled to himself at the little twist of fate. He had fallen in love with the two most important women in his life in the same place…the elevator.

**Meredith and Derek got their girl, finally! I expect LOTSA comments after this chapter! My goal is to get 20 comments for one chapter. Help me reach that goal!**


	18. Small Minds

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.**

**OK, because I got a whopping 23 comments from Chapter 16, I beat my goal! I decided to give everyone a little treat as a thank you. Here you go. Once again, thank you all for your interest in my story!**

**Chapter Seventeen:**

"Dis baby is a girl baby," Noah informed Cole as they peered at Hannah, who was sleeping in her bouncy chair. He gently petted her on top of her head as he gave Cole a serious look. "Her not has a willy."

"Oh," Cole replied. "Otay."

"Mommy says we be nice wif her cause hers wittle," Noah continued. "Hers a wittle baby."

"Yeah," Cole nodded. "Mama wuz da baby."

"And Daddy. She is his pwincess." Noah kissed her gently on top of her head. "You tan tiss her." Cole walked up to Hannah and dramatically kissed her on her forehead, causing her to open her eyes.

"Yous wakeded her up!" Noah yelled. "I tellen Mommy… MOMMY!"

"Sh'up!" Cole yelled back.

"Boys, what's going on in here?" Meredith asked walking into the living room with a basket full of clean laundry that needed folded. With three kids, laundry always needed done.

"Mommy, Cole kissed da baby and hers wakeded up!" Noah informed his mother. Meredith looked at Hannah, who was curiously looking around the room.

"She's fine, Noah. She's a happy girl. Cole loves her and wants to give her kisses." Meredith informed him.

Cole went to stand beside his mother. "Yeah, Noee."

Noah glared at his brother. "I da boss, Cole," he warned him.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "No, Mommy is the boss and Cole is fine. Let's go get ready for lunch. Daddy will be home from work after your naps."

"Yay!" Cole cheered. "Daddy home!"

"Will Daddy play brain man wif me?" Noah asked.

"I'm sure he will," Meredith smiled. Derek loved the fact that Noah was interested in brains. He said on several occasions that Noah would be a future neurosurgeon. Meredith had rolled her eyes at him and joked that she wasn't sure if the world could handle two overly moussed, huge ego-ed neurosurgeons with the Shepherd last name. "What do you two want for lunch?"

"Salad!" Noah yelled.

"Hot doggie and fries!" Cole yelled.

Meredith sighed. Her boys were as different as night and day.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

"Hey, honey," Derek poked his head into the living room from the kitchen. Meredith was sitting on the couch, watching Paula's Home Cooking and feeding Hannah. 'Where are the rug rats?"

"Naps," Meredith replied, looking up from the television to smile at him. "How was your day?"

Derek walked across the room and kissed Meredith on the lips. "Long. I thought about you guys all day. What did I miss?" He snuggled up next to her. Hannah stopped eating and followed the sound of her father's voice. She began to fuss when he didn't greet her.

"Is Daddy ignoring you, baby girl?" Meredith asked, positioning Hannah to face her.

"Daddy would never ignore his princess." Derek reached for Hannah and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Hello, my beautiful girl," he murmured to her. Hannah's eyes scanned his face. Derek moved her to his shoulder and patted her back to burp her. "How was your day?" he asked Meredith.

"Exhausting! Taking care of three kids sucks the life right out of you. The boys are getting used to the idea of Hannah being around, though. They get that she's staying." Meredith giggled.

Derek smiled as Hannah let out a burp. "That's good. I'm kind of fond of her," he smiled at his daughter.

"Me, too. I love our boys, but having a girl was a nice change." She leaned her head against Derek's shoulder as she ran her hand over Hannah's soft hair.

"Definitely," Derek agreed. Both looked up as they heard Noah and Cole coming down the steps.

"Daddy home!" Cole announced, running towards his father and Noah in tow.

"Hi, boys," Derek said. "Daddy missed you today." Cole crawled up on the couch and threw his arms around his father.

"Daddy," Cole pulled Derek's chin for him to look at him. "Baby no willy." Cole shook his head seriously.

"What?" Derek gave him a confused look.

Noah crawled up on the couch between his parents and looked at his father. "Her is a girl baby. Her not has a willy."

Derek nodded his head in understanding as Meredith giggled. "You're right, boys. No willy on this princess."

"Well, what she has?" Noah asked his father.

Meredith held in a laugh at Noah's question to his father. Talk about awkward.

"Uh…well…boys….Hannah is a girl. Girls have…uh…" Derek stammered.

"A butterfly," Meredith offered.

"Right! Girls have butterflies and boys have willies."

"Oh," Cole nodded.

"Why?" Noah asked.

"Yes, Daddy. Why is that?" Meredith teased. Derek glared at her. "Hey, I got stuck with the 'how babies get out of Mommy's bellies' conversation. It's your turn!"

"Fine," Derek smirked. "Boys have willies and girls have butterflies so that when they come out of their Mommy's belly, the Mommy and Daddy will know to dress them in pink or blue."

"Cheap skate," Meredith hissed. Derek gave her a smug look.

Noah thought for a moment. "Hannah wearded pink. Hers a girl. I wearded blue whens I was a baby?"

Derek nodded. "Yes, you and Cole wore blue."

"Did yous wearded blue, Daddy?" Noah asked.

"I'm sure Grandma dressed me in blue." Derek answered.

"Did Mommy wearded pink?" Noah asked.

"No, son, your Mommy wore black." Derek cringed as Meredith flicked his ear with her fingers.

_**Derek opened his eyes and stared at the clock. It was a little after four in the morning and something had woken him up. He sighed as he rolled over to pull Meredith closer to him and frowned when he found that her side of the bed was empty. Her pillow was gone, too. He rolled out of bed, anxious to find his pregnant wife. **_

_**He quietly walked down the hall and peered into Noah's room. He smiled as he heard his son's faint snoring. Like mother, like son. He frowned when he saw that Meredith had not crawled into bed with him. He walked across the hall to Cole's new bedroom. He smiled again when he saw him sprawled out sideways on his bed, protected from falling off by his bedrails. Meredith was not in there, either.**_

_**He made his way downstairs and was greeted by his wife's snores coming from the living room. He chuckled as he saw Meredith sleeping on the couch. She was sprawled out on her back with one leg propped along the back of the couch. Her other leg was tucked underneath her. It was an awkward position to be in, but it apparently worked in order for her to get comfortable enough to sleep.**_

_**He cautiously lay down beside her, careful not to move her from her position. He kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered, cuddling into her chest.**_

"_**Hmm, what?" she mumbled, stirring awake.**_

"_**I couldn't find you and you know I can't sleep without you beside me," Derek informed her. **_

"_**I couldn't get comfortable, so I came downstairs," she yawned. **_

"_**Hmm," he nuzzled her neck. "Do you mind if I sleep here with you?" he asked. **_

"_**Der, you have the bed all to yourself and you want to share this couch with me?" she asked.**_

_**Derek placed several kisses on her neck. "Well, to be honest. I can't sleep without your snoring. It lulls me to sleep now."**_

_**Meredith giggled. "You've got it so bad for me."**_

"_**I do, and I need to smell you. I can't smell you or hear your snores when I'm upstairs and you're downstairs."**_

"_**You're weird," she replied, running her fingers through his hair. She kissed his forehead, "but I love you anyway."**_

"_**Love you, too. Will you share your couch with me?" he asked.**_

_**Meredith giggled. "Absolutely," she said, inching back to give him more room. Derek cuddled up closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. He sighed in satisfaction and the feel of her body against his. "Good night," she murmured as she felt her eyes getting heavier. **_

"_**Night, my love," he answered, burying his nose in her neck. Derek quickly slipped into his Meredith induced slumber as her soft lavender smell entered his nostrils and her faint snores entered his ears. Yep, he had it bad for her.**_

"Oh, no, Dr. Shepherd. Our patient is bleeding into his skull. What do we do?" Derek asked Noah as they operated on a teddy bear.

"Get a Band-aid!" Noah answered.

"Good thinking!" Derek pretended to put a band aid on the bear's head. "Nice work, Dr. Shepherd. You are a brilliant brain man." He held out his hand to Noah for him to shake it.

Noah shook his hand. "I know," he answered, matter of factly.

Derek snickered. "Spoken like a true neurosurgeon. You make Daddy proud."

Cole walked into the play room holding a stuffed Dora the Explorer doll. Derek frowned. "Hi, buddy," he greeted him.

"Hi, Daddy," Cole replied.

"You play brain man wif us, Cole?" Noah asked.

Cole shook his head. "No, me plays wif Dorda."

Derek reached for Cole, gently removing the doll from his clutches. "You don't want to play with this doll. You want to play with us men."

Cole grabbed the doll again. "No, me plays wif Dorda," he repeated.

"Cole, where did you get that doll?" Derek asked with a disapproving look on his face.

"Mommy," Cole replied.

Derek quickly got up and went towards the kitchen to find Meredith. He found her in his office, returning e-mails to people. "Meredith," he said from the doorway with his hands on his hips.

Meredith continued to stare at the computer, "Derek," she said in the same tone.

"Mer," he came closer to her. "Why is Cole carrying around a Dorrie doll?"

Meredith giggled. "It's Dora and I gave it to him."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"Because Izzie got it for Hannah and right now she is too little to play with it. Cole liked it, so I told him he could have it," she answered.

"Cole is a boy," Derek informed her.

"I know Cole is a boy, Derek, I gave birth to him," Meredith replied. She looked up at him. "What is the problem with him playing with a doll?"

"Boys don't play with dolls," Derek informed her

"Says who?" Meredith asked.

"Says me. The father of your children," Derek replied.

"Okay, then, 'father of my children', what can your boys play with?" she asked.

Derek thought for a moment, "They can play with boy things, like trucks and baseballs…and dirt."

Meredith chuckled. "I see, so tell me, Derek. When Hannah gets to be Cole's age and she wants to play with trucks and baseballs and…dirt, she can't because she's a girl?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Derek protested.

Meredith nodded, "but you are, Derek. You are standing here telling me that Cole cannot play with a doll because girls play with dolls. But then you say it is fine for girls to play with boy things. That's a double standard."

Derek frowned, "It is not."

"It is. I never pegged you as someone suffering from a small mind, but I guess if the shoe fits…."

"I'm not small-minded, Meredith, and don't peg me." Derek crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, turning to leave.

"You're pegged," she replied, rolling her eyes.

_**Derek sighed as he walked into the house after a long day at work. The only thing he wanted to do was to relax in front of the television, drink a few beers and watch the Yankees versus the Phillies game on ESPN. It was after eight in the evening, so the boys would be in bed. It would be a relaxing night. **_

_**As he walked into the kitchen, he smelled what seemed to him to be the scent of Mr. Clean. That was a strange smell in the house because Meredith did not clean. Today was her day off and when he left this morning for work, she did not mention to him that she would be cleaning. **_

_**He walked through the kitchen and into the living room. "Mer?" he called, looking around for her. The house was silent. He dropped his brief case in the middle of the living room floor and kicked off his shoes and coat, leaving everything in a pile. He walked back into the kitchen and noticed how clean everything was. The dishes were done, the counters were cleared off, and everything was in its proper place. He grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and walked back into the living room. **_

_**Derek grabbed the remote from the coffee table and took a moment to look around. The living room, too, had been cleaned. The vacuum had been run, the kid's toys were all put away in the toy box, the pillows on the couch were fluffed and placed perfectly, and there was not a sign of dust anywhere. This was definitely strange. **_

_**Derek flopped onto the couch, putting his bottle of beer on the coffee table. He moved the pillows comfortably behind his back and settled to watch the game. He turned the television to the appropriate channel and turned the volume up. Derek didn't notice that Meredith had come downstairs and was silently observing the mess in the middle of the floor that her husband created. **_

"_**What is that?" she demanded, pointing to his brief case, coat and shoes. She then pointed to the beer on the coffee table, "And what is that?"**_

_**Derek looked to the places she was pointing. "My stuff," he replied.**_

"_**Your stuff?" Meredith spat. "Derek Christopher Shepherd, I have been cleaning all day, all freaking day, and the minute you come home you make a mess."**_

"_**You cleaned?" Derek asked. Oops, that came out wrong.**_

_**Meredith gasped, "Yes, I cleaned!" she exclaimed. "I cleaned the kitchen, the living room, and every other room in this freaking house that you said we had to have when we were building it."**_

"_**Oh, it looks nice," he replied. He looked up and smiled at her, but the smile quickly faded when he saw her pissed off expression. "You did a good job," he added.**_

"_**Thanks for your wonderful words of appreciation. You know what? You can take your stupid Yankee's game and shove it where the sun doesn't shine!"**_

_**Derek frowned, "Are you mad at me?" Came out wrong again, stupid idiot.**_

_**Meredith gasped, "No, Derek, I'm not mad at you…I'm furious! I clean all day and you don't even notice. Then you come home and in the first five minutes of you getting here, you make a mess! I haven't seen you all day and to think that I actually missed you. What the hell was I thinking?" Meredith spun around and stomped up the steps. **_

_**Derek sighed. He was an idiot. A full blown, clueless idiot. He grumbled as he got up off the couch, put his coat and shoes on and put his brief case in his office. He made his way to his car and got in. As he pulled out of the garage, he called Meredith on her cell phone. He wasn't surprised when the call went directly to voicemail. **_

"_**Hey, Mer. I just want you to know that I love you and I am very sorry that I hurt your feelings. I appreciate everything you do for me and our kids. You are a wonderful wife and mother. I'm on my way to get you a peace offering. I just wanted to know if you are hungry for a small or large Oreo McFlurry. Let me know. I love you, Baby. Bye." He closed his phone and put it in his lap. About a minute later, he received a text from Meredith. The text read: Sorry I'm a bitch. I love you, too. Large, please. Thanks!**_

"You boys ready to go fishing?" Derek asked Cole and Noah as they stood at the front door with their fishing gear on. Both boys nodded excitedly.

"We're ready, Daddy!" Noah yelled.

"Let's GO!" Cole chimed in.

Meredith giggled, cradling Hannah in her arms. "Please be careful and listen to Daddy, boys."

"Okay!" Noah and Cole yelled in unison.

As they turned to leave, Cole suddenly stopped. "Wait, Daddy! Me get Dorda!" Cole hurried up the steps to his room to get his doll

Derek groaned and slumped against the wall. He looked at Meredith who was giving him a look.

"What?" Derek asked her. "What's the look for?"

"You know," she replied, shifting the baby in her arms.

"Mer, I am not small-minded, I just don't think that a boy should take a doll fishing."

"Why not, Daddy?" Noah asked.

Meredith glared at him. "Pick…your…words…carefully," she warned.

Derek rolled his eyes at her, "Because, Noah, the doll might get dirty." He raised his eyebrows at her. She nodded approvingly.

"Oh," Noah said. "Mommy could wash her."

"Uh huh," Derek said

"Honey, the fish have small minds, so you should get along with them well," Meredith smiled sweetly at him.

"Not funny, Mer," Derek growled. She laughed.

"Me ready to go!" Cole announced, coming down the steps with his Dora doll.

Derek glanced at the doll disapprovingly and shook his head, but opened the door and motioned for the boys to go outside.

Meredith smirked as she watched her three men walk out the door. "Have fun boys…and Dora!" She giggled when Derek turned around and glared at her. She smiled widely in response.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

"Good night, Baby Bear," Derek told Cole as he tucked him in. He sighed when Cole clutched his Dora doll. "Buddy, what is it about that Dorrie doll that you like so much?" Derek asked him. He was not small minded, no matter what Meredith said.

"Dorda," Cole corrected him.

"Sorry, what is it about that Dorda…er…Dora doll that you like so much?" Derek asked again.

"Me like her," Cole replied.

"Yeah, you like her, but why not hug your teddy bear or your blanket?' Derek protested.

"Hers pwetty wike Mama," Cole said, looking at his father intently with his green eyes.

"She's pretty like Mommy?" Derek asked. "That's why you carry her around?"

Cole nodded. "Me wuz me Mama. Mama pwetty."

Derek nodded. "You got that right. Your Mommy is beautiful."

"You wuz Mama?" Cole asked.

Derek nodded. "I love your Mommy with all my heart. As a matter of fact, your Mommy owns my heart. I live and breathe for her and you munchkins." Derek tweaked Cole's nose and he giggled.

"You wuz Dorda?' Cole asked him.

Derek raised his eyebrows at him. He looked around the room quickly to make sure that Meredith was not in ear shot. "If you love Dorrie, Cole, then Daddy loves Dorrie."

"Dorda," Cole corrected him.

**I hope everyone liked it! Keep the comments up!!! I heart them!**


	19. Little Interruptions

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**FYI, after reading this chapter, you all know where my mind is…sorry in advance…**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Meredith got home from the hospital a little after one in the morning. She wasn't surprised when she got home that the house was completely dark. She had hoped that Derek would have waited up for her because their time together was limited since she started back to work a few weeks ago. Her whole body ached for her husband.

She quietly made her way through the house. She was careful not to turn too many lights on for fear of waking the children. Her babies took after their father in that aspect. All three of them were light sleepers. Meredith entered her bedroom and undressed quietly. She rolled her eyes when she saw Derek in the middle of the bed.

Meredith smiled to herself mischievously. She knew how to get him up, in more ways than one. She walked naked over to the bed. She yanked the covers off of him and giggled because he was naked, too. This was just too easy. She straddled her body so that she was directly on top of him. She moved her lips to his and kissed him deeply. Derek didn't open his eyes.

"Derek," Meredith whispered, pressing her lips to his again. "Der, wake up." She moved her lips to his neck, nipping at his skin with her teeth. "I'm home and I'm horny," she whispered in his ear, sucking on his lobe. She smiled as she felt his hands move up the length of her body. His erection pushed into her lower stomach. "You awake?" she asked.

"No," he replied with a smile, his eyes remaining closed.

Meredith snickered, pressing her lips to his again in a deep kiss. Her tongue entered his mouth as the kiss deepened. Derek moaned in pleasure as his hands moved to her head, holding her lips in place. He sucked on her tongue lightly as the kiss continued. Finally, she pulled away. "How about now?" she murmured, as she bit down lightly on his bottom lip.

"Hmm," Derek moaned. "Can you wake me up like this all the time?"

"Depends on what I get in return," Meredith replied, placing kisses down his chest and flicking one of his nipples with her tongue. "I'm wide awake," she told him, moving back up to kiss his lips again.

"I can see that," Derek said, rolling them over so that she was underneath him. "Thanks to you, now I am too." He moved his face to the side of her neck, trailing his lips along her collar bone and moving to the other side of her neck.

Meredith wrapped her arms around him and sighed, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin. "Oh, Dr. Shepherd, here we both are. No demanding kids, no distractions, what are we going to do?" Meredith squealed as Derek growled and nipped at her neck.

"I can think of a few things," he said, his voice muffled.

"I think we needs some warm up sex. It has been awhile." Meredith suggested.

"Ten days," Derek added, grinning at her. He eased her legs apart with his knees, positioning himself between them. "I feel like a kid in a candy store." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Meredith laughed at his comment and wrapped her legs around him, holding him in place. She closed her eyes, anxious to feel her husband inside of her.

"DADDY!" Noah yelled from his bedroom. "MOMMY!"

"Crap!" Meredith exclaimed. "Crap, crap, crap!"

"He's going to wake up the other two," Derek said, rolling over to his side of the bed to get up. He went to his drawer and pulled out a pair of underwear. "Hold that thought," he said to her, leaving the room. Meredith sighed dramatically as she laid back against her pillow. Along with being light sleepers, her kids had perfect timing.

"Mama," Cole's small voice came from the doorway. "Mama, Noee me awake."

Meredith sat up and saw her son standing in the doorway, clutching his Dora doll. "Noah woke you up?" she asked him.

"Uh huh," Cole nodded his head, "you sweep wis me pwease?"

Meredith glanced at Derek's side of the bed and then back at Cole. "Okay, you go get in bed and I'll be there," she told him.

"Otay!" Cole cheered, leaving her room.

Meredith sighed as she got out of bed. She quickly threw on a pair of Derek's underwear and a tee shirt on and walked out of her room, heading towards Cole's bedroom. She passed Derek in the hallway.

"Wait," he grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"

"Cole's awake and wants me to sleep with him," Meredith informed him. "Is Noah okay?"

Derek nodded. "He had a bad dream. You'll come back soon?" His eyes pleaded with her.

Meredith nodded. "As soon as I get him back to sleep," she moved towards him to kiss him, but stopped when they heard Hannah's cries coming from her bedroom. "And after you tend to your princess," she added.

Derek leaned in to kiss her quickly and moved towards the nursery.

"Mama, you tummin?" Cole called from his room. Meredith turned and walked towards his room. She crawled into the bed beside him.

"Okay, Mommy's here. You can go to sleep now." Meredith cuddled up next to him, trying to get comfortable in his twin sized bed.

"You no snors. Me not sweep," Cole informed her.

Meredith rolled her eyes in the darkness. "I'll try my best not to snore, Cole, but I'm not making any promises."

"Mer," Derek whispered, kneeling beside his sleeping wife in Cole's room. "Mer, get up."

"Hmmph," Meredith grumbled. "Whattimeisit?" she mumbled.

"It's seven thirty. You fell asleep on me last night," he chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose.

Meredith opened her eyes and was greeted by her husband's deep blue ones. "I fell asleep?" she asked, sitting up. She looked around the room and realized that she was still in Cole's bed.

"Shhh," Derek warned her. "All three kids are still sleeping. I think we have time to finish where we left off last night." He grinned widely at her. "Shower?"

Meredith nodded enthusiastically. "Shower," she agreed. She gently got out of bed, careful not to wake Cole, and followed her husband into the hallway. Derek stopped a few feet in front of their bedroom door and quickly pulled her to him, his lips meeting hers in a passionate kiss. "I should punish you for falling asleep on me," he murmured, pressing kisses along her clavicle.

"Oh, please do," Meredith breathed. "I think I need spanked."

Derek chuckled as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. He carried her through their bedroom and into the bathroom. He set her back on her feet and reached into the shower to turn the water on. He watched her in awe as she stripped off her clothes. Meredith giggled when she saw his fascinated expression and reached to help him out of his boxers. They stumbled into the shower, kissing each other passionately.

"I have missed you so much," Meredith confessed as Derek kissed his way from her neck to her chin.

"Hmm, me too." Derek agreed, kissing her hard on the lips. "So much."

Both froze when they heard their bedroom door squeak open. "It's morning time!" Noah called. "Where is you at Mommy? I hungry."

Derek groaned pitifully and pressed his forehead against Meredith's. Meredith kissed him quickly, "Hurry up and get out before he starts asking questions," she told him. Derek rolled his eyes and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around him. He opened up the shower door one more time and looked her up and down. "Save me some cold water," he joked.

Meredith giggled. Yep, her children had perfect timing.

_**Meredith smiled as Dr. Werner walked into the exam room. "Dr. Grey," he greeted her, looking around the room curiously. "Dr. Shepherd not coming today?"**_

_**Meredith shook her head. "He has surgery right now. He was very upset that he wouldn't be here, though."**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded in understanding. "How is the expectant mother doing?"**_

_**Meredith sighed. "I'm good…it's just…well," she paused.**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded for her to continue.**_

**"_I just…have moments where I see…spots, or whatever."_**

_**Dr. Werner nodded in understanding. "When do you see the spots, Dr. Grey?"**_

**"_Umm," Meredith thought. "Usually when I sit down after a surgery or when I'm at the grocery store."_**

**"_Do you see them when you're driving?" Dr. Werner asked, taking a moment to look at her chart._**

**"_No…no," Meredith giggled. "I am at the point in my pregnancy that Derek will not let me drive anywhere."_**

**"_Hmm, well, Dr. Grey, you're blood pressure is slightly elevated.."_**

**"_Elevated?" Meredith interrupted. "How high is it?"_**

**"_Well," Dr. Werner looked at her chart again, "Today it is one hundred thirty seven over ninety six, it's not that high, but it definitely puts up some red flags."_**

_**Meredith swallowed hard. "Red flags?"**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded, "Yes, and looking at your urine screen, the protein is slightly elevated, too. Those combined, with the spots you say that you've been seeing, all lead up to…"**_

**"_Pre-eclampsia," Meredith finished in a slightly panicked voice._**

_**Suddenly, Derek burst into the room. "I made it," he announced, coming to Meredith's side. He leaned in to kiss her. "Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?"**_

_**Dr. Werner smiled at him, "I was just talking with your wife about some red flags we've noticed."**_

_**Derek's face went white. "Red flags?" He turned to Meredith. "Mer, what red flags?"**_

_**Meredith gave him a sympathetic smile. "I have the start of pre-eclampsia," she informed him.**_

_**Derek looked at the doctor, panic evident on his face. "Pre-eclampsia?" he repeated. "High blood pressure?"**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded. "Yes, this morning your wife's blood pressure was elevated. Not extremely, but enough to concern us. Also, the protein in her urine is elevated," Dr. Werner raised the leg of Meredith's scrubs and pressed onto her skin. "She's retaining quite a bit of fluid, too. All of those symptoms combined with her seeing spots…"**_

_**Derek snapped his head to look at her. "You see spots?" he asked. Meredith nodded, giving him a guilty expression.**_

**"_All of those symptoms lead me to believe that you are developing pre-eclampsia."_**

_**Derek and Meredith looked at each other for a moment. Derek turned to look at the doctor, "What does that mean? Is my baby okay? Is my wife okay?"**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded. "Everyone is doing fine. Baby sounds great, your wife looks fine…." he hesitated.**_

**"_What?" Derek and Meredith asked in unison._**

**"_At this time, because I am concerned with your symptoms, you will need to stop working."_**

**"_Stop working?" Meredith repeated. "Seriously?"_**

**"_Seriously," Dr. Werner answered. "More stress causes a person's blood pressure to elevate. We can't have it any higher than what it already is. I will write you a medical leave slip for Dr. Webber."_**

**"_But…but…I have to work," Meredith protested. "Derek, tell him."_**

**"_I think," Derek grimaced at the words he was about to say. "I think I am with the doctor on this one, Mer."_**

_**Meredith glared at the two of them. "I cannot sit at home all day and do nothing."**_

_**Dr. Werner nodded, "You can and you will. Do you understand what could happen to you if you're blood pressure goes any higher? Seizures? You or the baby dying?"**_

_**Derek reached for her hand. "We will talk to Richard today. She's off work today." He nodded to Dr. Werner. "You have my word."**_

_**Meredith rolled her eyes. "Well, then I guess Derek has decided for me." She glared at him and then glared at Dr. Werner. "Do you have anything else that you need to tell me."**_

**"_Well," Dr. Werner started. "We got your results back from the glucose test you had last week." He kept his eyes glued to Meredith's chart. "You have gestational diabetes as well."_**

Meredith made her way to Derek's office. She had forty five minutes until her next surgery, all three kids were currently in day care, and she had been thinking about sex with her husband all day. She would go to his office, lock the door, and have her way with him.

She quietly entered his office and smiled. Derek's back was turned towards her and he was talking to someone on his cell phone. She closed the door and locked it. She cleared her throat loudly and he turned to look at her. He mouthed 'mom' to her, letting her know who he was talking to. "You'll be here tomorrow? What time? Yeah, lucky duck. Only you would go on a six week cruise. How long will you be staying? Oh, that's great. The boys will love it."

Meredith listened to Derek conversation with his mother. Carolyn had gone with a few of her lady friends on a six week cruise in the Caribbean. Hannah was born the day after Carolyn left. The proud grandmother had yet to see her newest grand daughter, but informed Derek and Meredith while on her cruise that she would be visiting them for two months once she returned. Noah and Cole were very excited at the idea of Grandma Shepherd visiting and asked everyday when she would be coming.

"I will bring both of them with me to pick you up. They want to take you out to lunch. Cole wanted to take you to McDonalds and Noah wanted to go to Salad Express. Yep, junk food junkie, just like his Mommy."

Meredith glared at him when he looked up at her. He smirked in return. Meredith looked at her watch. She now had a half hour before her next surgery. She smiled coyly when she caught his eye again. She pulled her hair from her pony tail and her hair cascaded over her shoulders. Derek's eyes got slightly wider. She smirked and pulled her scrub top over her head, showing him her black push up bra. Derek's eyes got even more wider.

Meredith giggled as she shed her sneakers and scrub pants and dramatically bent over to pick her clothes up from the floor, giving him full access to her black, lacy thong.

"Ma…that's great…yeah…and I'm sure we'll hear all about it when you get here tomorrow…" Derek swallowed hard as he watched Meredith as she unhooked her bra and threw it at him. "Ma…gotta go… call me when you leave…we love you…okay…okay… bye."

Derek snapped his phone shut and shot out of his chair, quickly making his way to her and kissing her hungrily. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling at it gently so she could have access to his neck. She nipped at the sensitive skin on his neck, licking her way up to his ear. She sucked on his ear lobe and bit down gently. "I have been waiting for this all day," she whispered in his ear.

"I know the feeling," Derek replied. He lifted her up and placed her on the edge of his desk, pressing kisses over her chest. "They should tell you that when your third baby arrives, your sex life leaves," he said, trailing kisses up her neck and pecking her lips.

Meredith giggled loudly. She tugged at the bottom of his scrub top for him to take it off. He quickly ripped it off and moved back to her neck. Suddenly, Derek's pager went off. "No freaking way!" Meredith exclaimed, grabbing the device from his desk.

Derek took it from her and peered at the message. "Mer, it's 911. I have to go." Derek quickly adjusted himself in his pants, attached his cell phone and pager to the waist band of his pants and kissed her quickly. "Love you."

Meredith sighed as she watched him leave. The hospital had bad timing, too.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

"Gamma, my sisser is a girl," Noah informed his grandmother as Carolyn held Hannah.

"Hers no willy," Cole added. Carolyn gave Derek a puzzled look.

"Yes, Ma, my boys are quite enthralled with the fact that their little sister does not have a willy," Derek nodded is head at her with wide eyes. "They had to tell the grocery store clerk that information yesterday when we were there."

Carolyn chuckled at her grandsons. "Your sister is a pretty girl," she told Noah and Cole.

Both boys nodded in agreement. "Daddy says hers stays in hers bedroom till hers old!" Noah told her with wide eyes.

Carolyn laughed and looked at Derek, who was giving her a serious look. "No joke," he confirmed. "I was pricing door locks that unlock from the outside of the door."

"Oh, Derek!" Carolyn laughed. "You sound just like your father."

Derek smiled. "I don't know how Dad did it with four girls. I'm having a hard time with one," he lowered his voice. "And if she's anything like her mother, I will have my hands full in a few years."

"I heard that," Meredith said walking in from the garage. "What's wrong with her mother?"

"Nothing," Derek replied, leaning into her and giving her a quick kiss. "Nothing, at all."

"Right," Meredith gave him a skeptical look, but smiled when she saw Carolyn. "Mom, it's so good to see you. How was your cruise?" Meredith smiled as Cole climbed into her lap and gave her a hug.

"Wonderful. It was beautiful. You and Derek should plan to go sometime."

Meredith nodded her head and looked at Derek. "Definitely," she agreed. "We are so glad that you're here," she informed her mother-in-law. "Noah and Cole are very excited."

"Mer and I are excited, too," Derek chimed in.

Carolyn looked up at him curiously. "Has it been hard with three?"

Derek smirked at Meredith as he leaned against the archway between the living room and kitchen. "It's definitely been hard."

"Yes, Mom, it's been hard with three children," Meredith said, giving Derek a warning look.

Derek nodded. "Yep, it's hard with three. But, now that you're here, maybe Mer and I can finally have sex." He smirked at his mother, who was trying to hold back a laugh.

Meredith gasped. "Derek Shepherd! I can't believe you just said that in front of your mother! Are you crazy?" Meredith's face turned a bright shade of crimson.

"No, not crazy…just Meredith deprived," Derek smiled at his mother.

"What has gotten into you?" Meredith asked. She glanced at Carolyn quickly, "I'm so sorry, Mom."

Carolyn patted Meredith's arm sympathetically. "It's alright dear. Your time together is limited. I get it. I had small children, once." Meredith sighed. Carolyn leaned into Meredith, but spoke loud enough for Derek to hear her. "And I had a husband who couldn't keep his hands off of me either."

Derek's eyes got wide and he covered his ears. "Bad images entering my head, Ma," he informed his mother. Both women laughed loudly. "I'm leaving now," he announced, leaving the room.

**"_I can't believe this," Meredith moaned, covering her face with her hands as they waited for the ferry boat. "This can't be happening to me!"_**

**"_What da matter, Mommy?" Noah asked curiously._**

_**Meredith turned in her seat to look at her son. "Mommy can't cut anymore, Noah, and she can't eat candy bars," she wailed. Her eyes got wide, "or…Oreo McFlurries!"**_

_**Derek rubbed her shoulders sympathetically. "Honey, it's not forever. It's just for three more months until the baby comes. It will be fine."**_

_**She looked over and glared at him. "You take my scalpel, you take my sugar, and now you're telling me that it will all be fine? You apparently do not value your life."**_

_**Derek chuckled. "I do value my life, and I value your life and our children's lives," he reached over to rub her stomach. "I would die if anything ever happened to you or one of our kids, Mer. I need you to be okay."**_

**"_I am okay," she protested. "Freaking great. Derek, how would you feel if someone told you that you couldn't eat your stupid salads anymore or…or your stupid Muesli?" _**

_**Derek gave her an amused look. Noah groaned, "No salad?" he asked.**_

_**Derek looked at him through the rearview mirror and smiled. "No, Tater. You can still eat salads. Mommy is just being dramatic."**_

**"_Oh! Okay, Daddy. Whew!" Noah replied, pretending to wipe sweat from his forehead. _**

_**Meredith glared at her husband. "Dramatic? Now I'm dramatic? Derek! My life is so over!" she wailed. **_

**"_Only for three more months," Derek replied. He usually was not as brave when standing up to pregnant Meredith, but after hearing from Dr. Werner of what could happen if Meredith didn't refrain from sugar and keep her blood pressure down, he was going to take his chances at pissing her off. _**

**"_Fine! Then this is it, Derek Shepherd. You are on your own in the baby making department. If you want more babies after this one, you will need to find some way to grow one on your own. This uterus," she pointed her thumb at her swollen stomach, "is retired in three months." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared out the window, not saying a word._**

_**Derek cleared his throat. "Okay," he said slowly. "But we can still practice though, right?"**_

Derek waited impatiently for Meredith to come out of the bathroom. All three kids were asleep in bed, his mother was tucked away in the guest room at the opposite side of the house, and Derek once again found himself alone with his wife. What could she possibly be doing in the bathroom that long?

He hopped out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He saw her standing at the bathroom sink, tweezing her eyebrows. His eyes scanned her attire and his desire became even more intense. She was wearing his tee shirt and her lacy panties. "Meredith," he breathed. "What are you doing?"

"What?" She gave him a confused look.

Derek moved closer to her. He took the tweezers from her hand. "Mer, the eyebrows can wait. Your husband? Not so much." He moved closer to her, allowing his erection to press into her side. "See?'

Meredith laughed. "I see. Do you honestly think that I will have sex with you after you humiliated me in front of your mother?" she raised her eyebrows at him.

Derek mouthed 'yes' at her while nodding. Meredith mouthed 'no' at him while shaking her head.

"Don't make me break out the handcuffs, woman." He warned, moving in between her body and the sink. "We would be crazy not to have sex right now." He leaned in to kiss her. "All…three…kids…are…asleep" he informed her between kisses. "And," he pulled away to look at her with hooded eyes. "You cannot resist me."

Meredith gazed into his dark blue eyes. Then her eyes moved to his lips, eager to taste him. "You're right," she agreed, crashing her lips against his.

Derek moaned in pleasure, turning them so that she was between the sink and his body. He lifted her onto the counter and pulled her shirt off, taking a moment to enjoy the look of her body. His hands moved up and down her back while trailing kisses up her chest.

Meredith scraped her nails up and down his back and moaned when she felt his hand move from her back and in between her thighs. She opened her legs wide for him, allowing his fingers access to her core.

Derek moaned as he felt her wetness and gently began rubbing circles around her clit. Meredith's legs twitched at the sensation and she cried out loudly. Derek pulled her face to his, smothering her sounds with a deep kiss. She pulled away breathlessly, ready to say something, but was interrupted by she and Derek's pagers sounding loudly. "This is not happening," she closed her eyes for a moment, feeling his lips against her forehead.

Derek sighed, burying his face between her breasts and kissing her. He glanced up at her. "It is. We were both paged, so it's bad." He looked at her disappointed expression. "I'm sorry, baby," he murmured.

Meredith sighed and kissed him quickly. "It's okay. I'd better score a kick ass surgery out of this," she muttered.

Derek chuckled, handing her his shirt. "I'll call the hospital."

******************************************************************************************************************************************

"I am wide awake," Meredith informed her husband as they waited for the ferry boat to come to them across the Elliot Bay. "Those surgeries rocked!"

Derek looked at her from the driver's seat and smiled. "And we saved every one of them," he added. Derek and Meredith were both paged to the hospital after there was a six car pile up on the interstate. They were both on surgery highs.

Now, they sat in their car in the early morning of the day, being one of about three cars who were in line for the ferry boat. Meredith sipped on her coffee as Derek drove on to the ferry boat when it came to shore. She looked around in amusement. "There's no one on here with us." she giggled. "We have the ferry boat all to ourselves."

Derek reached for her hand and pressed his lips to the back. "I have a thing for ferry boats," he said softly.

Meredith giggled. "I know you do. Remember how, before kids, we would come home together after a forty eight hour shift and be the only people on the ferry?"

Derek nodded. "Yep, and do you remember what we did on the ferry?" He grinned at her mischievously.

Meredith returned the smile. "I remember," she nodded. "How could I forget?"

Derek pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply. "Mer, the other cars are at the other end of the boat. There are no distractions, no kids, and hopefully no pagers going off. What do you say?"

Meredith moved herself across the console and straddled his lap. She reached down and reclined his chair, dipping to kiss his lips. She reached down to the opening of his pants and unclasped them. "All I can say is thank God for ferry boats."

**This chapter was cheesy, but the MerDer withdrawal is BAD. Please leave me comments. Don't make me beg any more than I already have ****J**


	20. Boys Will Be Boys

**Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes. **

**OK, so my mind is still in MerDer withdrawal land….sue me. The particular situation in regards to Noah and Cole that is written in this chapter happened to me. Such an embarrassing moment in my life….Mer needed it, too!**

**Chapter Nineteen: **

"So, Mark and I are getting married," Lexie announced to Meredith. "We're getting married and we want you and Derek to stand up for us."

"What?" Meredith asked, surprised by Lexie's words.

Lexie nodded in excitement. "Mark and I want you and Derek to be best man and maid of honor."

"Oh," Meredith replied. "What about Molly?"

Lexie's smile faded slightly. "Mer, Molly and I haven't been close in years. Not since I left for college and she got married and moved away. I'm actually closer with you." She smiled at her.

Meredith smiled back. "Lex, I appreciate the offer, really. But you've been sisters with Molly forever."

Lexie crossed her arms over her chest. "I've been sisters with you forever, too, Meredith. Please, please be my maid of honor. Nothing in the world would make me happier."

Meredith sighed and looked at Lexie, who was nodding at her with wide eyes. "Oh, alright. I'll be your best maid, or whatever."

"Yay!" Lexie clapped excitedly and bounced up and down. "How perfect is that? You'll be my maid of honor and Derek will be Mark's best man. Simply perfect!"

Meredith nodded in agreement and put on a fake smile. "So, when's the big day?"

"Well, Mark kind of wanted to have it while Derek's mother was in town. I mean the woman practically raised him. We'd like to do it before she leaves."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "You're going to plan a wedding in five weeks?"

Lexie nodded. "A small wedding. Oh! If you will allow them, I'd like for Noah and Cole to be the ring bearers. They will look so cute in little suits!"

Meredith couldn't help but smile at the thought. Her boys all decked out would be an adorable sight. "Sure, they can be ring bearers," she agreed.

"I thought about having Hannah be a flower girl, but seeing how she's only two months old and she can't walk," Lexie paused to giggle, "that would be kind of hard."

Meredith nodded. "Definitely."

"Laura will be the flower girl. She's almost seven."

"Sounds to me like you've got it all planned out. What do you need for me to do?" Meredith asked.

Lexie gave her a coy smile. "I need you to plan my bachelorette party," she said.

****************************************************************************************

"I am responsible for the bachelorette party," Meredith informed Derek as she brushed her teeth for bed. "I don't plan bachelorette parties, I attend them."

Derek smirked as he listened to her from his side of the bed. He remembered Meredith's bachelorette party almost five years ago. Drunk Meredith turned into horny Meredith and Derek reaped the full benefits of it. "I like it when you go to bachelorette parties. I get sex when you come home."

Meredith peered around the corner at him. "Why is your mind always in the gutter?" she asked.

Derek shrugged. "Because my wife is hot and she gives me great sex. When I look at her the only thing I can think of is the fact that she's hot and she gives me great sex. Good enough answer?"

Meredith giggled. "Of course."

"Speaking of giving me great sex…" his voice trailed off.

Meredith laughed as she shut off the bathroom light and made her way to the bed. "That is my specialty," she agreed, straddling his body and kissing him fully on the lips. She pulled back to look at him, but suddenly developed a sober face.

Derek noticed her change in facial expression. "What?" He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thatcher will be there," Meredith said. "At Mark and Lexie's wedding."

Derek gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know," he said softly. "You okay about that?"

Meredith closed her eyes for a moment. "I think I'll be fine. It's Mark and Lexie's day and it's about them. I guess I could put on a pretend smile and be cordial to him."

Derek pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Mer, I'll be with you. If you need me, I'm there for you, okay?"

Meredith nodded. "Thank you," she kissed him softly. "You just being there will make me feel better."

"I'm there for you, always," he pulled her face to his and kissed her.

"You are a wonderful husband," she murmured when the kiss broke off. "I am very lucky to have you."

Derek nodded in agreement. "I know."

Meredith smacked him on the arm and rolled her eyes. "I could do with out the overly large ego, though." She rolled over on her side of the bed.

Derek followed her, rolling to his side and nuzzled her neck with his face. "You love my ego. Admit it."

Meredith sighed. "I love your massively huge gigundo enormous ego."

"And the hair," he added.

Meredith rolled her eyes, "and the hair care product infested mop."

"I resent that," he replied.

"Anything else I love?" she ignored his statement.

"You love the fact that I gave you really, really cute kids," he grinned.

"I love the fact that, thanks to their mother, your kids are really, really cute," she snickered.

"_Mer, you coming?" Derek called from the living room. Movie night was about to begin and Meredith was in the kitchen. She came into the living room, carrying a big bowl of strawberry ice cream. She plunked down beside him and gave him a sweet smile. "Mer," Derek said slowly. "What are you doing with that ice cream? You know you can't have it." _

_Meredith nodded, looking longingly at the bowl. "I'm not going to eat it. You are." She gave Derek that sweet smile again. _

"_What?" Derek asked. "I'm going to eat it?" _

_Meredith nodded. "Yep, you are going to eat it and I am going to watch you." She handed him the bowl. Derek looked at it curiously. "Eat it, Derek." _

"_Mer, I don't like strawberry ice cream." Derek protested. _

"_I know, but I do. I can't have it, so you need to eat it for me and tell me how it tastes. I will eat my sweets through you." She wiggled the bowl in front of his face. "Let's go." _

_Derek sighed, grabbing the bowl from her and moving it out of his face. "Mer, I think this is the most ridiculous idea you've ever had," he grumbled. _

_Meredith gave him an impatient look. "Are you going to sit there and criticize your wife about her ideas, or are you going to do like you said you'd do?" _

"_What?" Derek asked, giving her a confused look. _

_Meredith's eyes narrowed as she rubbed her stomach. "What did you promise me the day I stopped working, Derek Shepherd?" _

_Derek racked his brain, trying to remember what he had promised. For the life of him, he couldn't remember. Meredith had a memory on her like an elephant. Especially when it came to him promising her things. He swallowed hard. "I remember," he paused and then shook his head. "I don't remember," he said sheepishly giving her an apologetic smile. "Refresh my memory." _

_Meredith rolled her eyes and spoke very slowly. "The day you went to Richard and told him that I would not be working anymore because of the high blood pressure and the sugar, you promised me that you would do anything to make me happy because of all the crap." _

_A wave of realization washed over Derek. He nodded his head slowly. "I remember now." _

_Meredith game him the sweet smile again. "Watching you eat strawberry ice cream will make me happy." She looked at the bowl and then back at Derek. She was not backing down. _

_Derek sighed and picked up the spoon, scooping a huge amount of ice cream and shoving it in his mouth. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Meredith staring at him intently. _

"_How does it taste, Derek?" She asked, her eyes never leaving his face. _

_He swallowed. "It tastes like….strawberry ice cream," he answered. _

_Meredith groaned and rolled her eyes, "I know that. Describe it to me." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a threatening look. _

_Derek shoved another bite into his mouth. "Hmm, well, it's very... creamy. The strawberries are frozen, but are very sweet. "He said flatly. "Is that good enough of a description for you?"_

_Meredith nodded, propping her elbow on the back of the couch and leaning her head against her hand. "Yes, and after you're finished with the ice cream," she reached behind her and presented him with a bag of peanut M&M's. "I want you to eat these."_

_Derek groaned at the thought. Meredith was going to kill him…literally._

"Do you have to go?" Derek whined as he followed Meredith around the night of Lexie's bachelorette party. "Why don't you stay home with me?" He followed her into the bathroom and watched his wife brush her hair.

Meredith laughed at her husband's whining. "Because I'm designated driver, Der. I promised Lexie that I would take her out. I have to make sure that Lexie and her friends get home safe and sound."

"But I miss you," he protested. "I haven't seen you all day."

Meredith sighed and looked at her husband in the mirror. "We have all day tomorrow together. We're taking the kids to the zoo, remember?"

Derek moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He placed kisses along the back of her neck. "Please?" he whispered.

"Derek, spend some time with your mom. She's going back to New York soon." Meredith suggested.

"I don't want to spend time with my mom," he pouted. "She's not nearly as fun as you." Meredith giggled and looked at her watch. "Crap, I gotta go." She removed herself from his embrace and made her way downstairs, Derek trailing right behind her. Meredith walked into the living room, where Carolyn was playing Go Dorothy (Go Fish with Elmo's World playing cards) with Noah. Cole was absorbed in the television, watching Dora the Explorer. Hannah was in bed for the night.

"Gramma, give me all yous Grovers," Noah said, staring intently at his hand of cards. Carolyn frowned at her hand and reluctantly gave Noah a card with Grover on it. "Yes!" Noah cried. "I is winning!"

Meredith giggled at her son's enthusiasm. "Der, it looks like your mom needs some help. You guys could have a great Go Dorothy marathon."

Derek shook his head, leaning against the wall. "He already beat me three times. He's a card shark."

"Hmmm, you can always watch Dora with Cole," she joked. Derek gave her a warning look. "Or not, " she giggled. "Okay, boys, Mommy is going out with Aunt Lexie, but I'll see you when you wake up in the morning."

"Bye, Mommy," Noah said, not looking up at her.

"Bye, Mommy," Cole echoed, staring at the television screen.

"What, no tears?" Meredith questioned. "They usually beg me not to leave."

"Umm, I'm begging you not to leave. I can make tears happen, too," Derek said, moving closer to her. Meredith looked at Carolyn, who was chuckling softly at her son. "Such a baby," Meredith said, walking into the kitchen. Derek followed her.

"Call me if you need me," he informed her, helping her into her coat. He turned her around to look at him, and pulled her face to his to kiss her. Meredith groaned as she felt Derek's tongue slip into her mouth. Her tongue met his as she deepened the kiss. He slipped his hands under her shirt and moved them up and down her back. She raked her hands through his hair as his mouth devoured hers. She finally pulled away from him breathlessly. "Wow," she whispered. "You really don't want me to go, do you?"

"Nope," Derek replied, kissing her lips quickly.

She giggled, "too bad." She turned away from him and grabbed his car keys off the key holder. "I'm taking your car."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"Because, if someone vomits on leather, it's easier to clean up than the cloth seats in my Jeep," she replied.

Derek groaned.

********************************************************************************************

Meredith sipped on her Apple Martini, watching the group of girls at the table giggle over something that was not funny. Meredith giggled along, only because the sight of them was hilarious.

"Lex," one of the girls smacked at Lexie's arm for her attention. Meredith remembered that her name was Beth. "Lex, do you remember Eddie Spaghetti from chemistry class senior year?"

Lexie thought for a moment. "Yes," she said slowly. "But why did we call him Eddie Spaghetti again?"

Beth giggled loudly, "Because you love spaghetti and you definitely loved Eddie's noodle!" The table roared with laughter. Meredith giggled despite herself.

Lexie smiled widely. "He did have a nice noodle. Not as nice as Mark's but…nice."

"How nice is Mark's noodle?" Another of the girls at the table asked. Meredith remembered Lexie introducing her as Missy.

"Mark is definitely hung," Lexie said proudly. "Wanna hear my theory on why?" All the girls nodded. Lexie gulped at her beer. "It's because he's from New York ." The girls giggled loudly. "No! Seriously!" Lexie protested, looking at Meredith suddenly. "Derek's from New York . Mer, is Derek's noodle big?"

Meredith raised her eyebrows at her sister. "What?"

"How big is Derek's penis?" she asked. "I need to know if my theory is accurate." She grabbed Beth's arm to get her attention. "Mer's husband is Mark's best friend. His name is Derek Shepherd and he is a world renowned neurosurgeon." All of the girls looked at Meredith in jealousy. "And, he's easy on the eyes," Lexie started giggling.

"Thanks, Lex," Meredith said.

"You are welcome," she slurred. "Now, answer my question!"

Meredith rolled her eyes. She pondered answering the question, but the size of her husband's penis did not need to be something Lexie and her friends needed to know. Her husband was definitely blessed in the size department and she was very possessive of what was hers.

"Well?" Lexie prompted impatiently.

Meredith sighed. "Derek does very well," she replied, giving the inhabitants of the table a smirk.

Lexie pumped her hand in the air, "I knew it! See? I knew I was right."

Meredith nodded. "Who wants another drink?" She asked, getting up. All of the girls raised their hands. Meredith made her way to the bar slowly, allowing herself time away from the giddy, drunken girls. And she had to admit, thinking of Derek's penis made her hot for him. She remembered their kiss right before she left. Man, the two thoughts combined sent her over the edge!

She felt her cell phone go off in her pocket. She opened her phone and saw that Derek had sent her a text message. Derek's text read: **Hey, miss you**.

Meredith smiled. She missed him, too. She giggled as a thought entered her head. Derek did say to call if she needed him. She texted him back: **I need you. **She ordered another round of drinks for the girls, noticing that Derek had replied: **What's wrong? You okay? **Meredith texted back: **Yes, can you come? **Derek responded: **Where are you? **Meredith texted back: **Joes. **Derek replied almost immediately: **I'll be there in thirty minutes. **

Meredith chuckled to herself. Her husband was in for a treat when he got there. She carried the drinks over to the table, sitting back down and listening to the girls chatter about high school, college and old classmates. Meredith kept glancing at her watch. When thirty minutes had passed, she pulled Lexie to her. "I'm not feeling very well. I have to use the restroom. If anyone comes by for me, send them in there." Meredith knew that Lexie was too drunk to ask questions.

Lexie pointed and winked at her, mouthing the word "Okay".

She made her way to the women's bathroom, locking it behind her. She glanced at her appearance in the mirror. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Mer," Derek said softly. "Mer, it's me. Open the door."

Meredith smiled at herself in the mirror. She went to the door and unlocked it. Derek pushed the door open and closed it behind him. He looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. Meredith didn't answer him, but looked at him up and down. He was wearing his tight Levi's and his Bowdoin shirt. "Mer? Are you sick?"

"No," she replied, coming closer to him.

"Did you drink too much?" he pressed.

"No," she replied, running her hands up his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him.

"What's wrong, then?" He murmured, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"I'm horny as hell," she smirked and started to giggle when she saw the lust seep into his eyes. "I thought we could pick up right after that kiss you gave me before I left tonight. You told me to let you know if I needed you." She moved her hand under his shirt and rubbed his bare chest seductively.

Derek smiled at her, "I like the way you think, my love."

"And right now I definitely need you." They quickly undressed each other, knowing that it was a matter of time before someone started pounding on the door. Derek turned so that Meredith's back was pressed against the wall and lifted her onto his fully erect, throbbing member. They both groaned at the sensation, their lips meeting in a fiery kiss. "Lexie was right about New York men," she murmured against his lips, wrapping her legs tightly around him and locking her ankles.

"What about New York men?" Derek asked huskily, taking one of her nipples in his mouth and sucking lightly.

Meredith raked her fingers in his hair and moaned. "Her theory is men from New York are hung. I have to agree with her." She pulled his lips back to hers and thrust her tongue in his mouth.

Derek pulled away for a moment, giving her an amused grin. "God, I love bachelorette parties," he announced.

*******************************************************************************************

"Now, listen, boys," Derek told his sons as they waited at the church for the wedding to start. "Your big boy jobs are to walk down the aisle and when Uncle Mark asks you for the rings, you give them to him, okay? Do you think you can do it?"

Noah rolled his eyes at his father. "Daddy, I am four," he held up four fingers. "That's almost a whole hand old!"

Derek nodded. "Sorry, I forgot." He smiled at the sight of his sons. They looked handsome in their little suits. Derek adjusted their ties and made sure that their hair was in place. "You two have great hair," Derek said, "Just like your dad."

"Shepherd, it's time," Mark's frantic voice called.

Derek stood up and adjusted Noah's and Cole's suits one more time. "Wait for Mommy and she'll tell you what to do," Derek said.

"Mommy always tells us what to do," Noah said.

Derek chucked. "You are right about that, bud." He turned and followed Mark to the front of the church. He winked at his mother, who was sitting in the first row, holding a sleeping Hannah. He stood beside Mark as the wedding march began to play. The first bridesmaid walked down the aisle, and then the second. Derek's eyes spotted his wife as she started walking down the aisle. She looked radiant in the blue gown she was wearing. He couldn't peel his eyes away from her.

Meredith noticed Derek staring at her as she walked down the aisle. She giggled at his mesmerized expression and locked her eyes with his as she slowly descended towards the front of the church. She moved beside the other bridesmaids and watched as her boys started down the aisle. She frowned as she saw the pissed off expression on Cole's face. The boys walked down the aisle together, but continued to nudge each other with their elbows. Meredith looked at Derek, who was oblivious to what their boys were doing because his eyes were glued to her. She motioned with her head for him to look at them.

As they came down the aisle, Noah spotted his father. He quickly walked over to Derek, standing directly in front of Mark. "Daddy!" he yelled. "Daddy! Cole picked his nose and ated it. I sawed him!" Derek's eyes moved down to his sons, who were standing in front of him.

"No me didn't!" Cole yelled back. "Shut up, Noee!"

"Boys," Derek said in a loud whisper. "Shhh! Please be quiet."

"But Daddy, Cole ated his boogers. I sawed him do it! It gross!" Noah pointed at Cole, "You is gross!"

Apparently, Cole had enough of the taunting from his older brother, because he swung his hand around to hit him. Noah saw it coming and ducked, causing Cole's aim to go directly to Mark's family jewels. Mark doubled over in pain upon contact.

Meredith's mouth dropped open in shock as she watched the scene. She hurried over to help Derek with the situation, but observed the reaction of the guests in the audience. She looked over at Carolyn, whose face was beat red from trying not to laugh. As she looked around the room, every person (including the preacher) was chuckling softly. Except for Mark, who continued to be bent over in pain. Meredith grabbed Cole by the hand and pulled him over with her and the other bridesmaids. She watched as Derek leaned over to make sure that Mark was okay. Mark nodded and stood up, his face bright red. Meredith caught Derek's eyes and he smirked at her. Leave it to her husband to get enjoyment out of the situation.

_Meredith moaned as she shoved a peanut butter cup in her mouth. It tasted like heaven. Derek was at the hospital and her cravings were out of control. Luckily, she found the boys Halloween candy that Derek had hid from her. He should know by now that she could sniff out chocolate a mile away._

_She must have been in her own private world, because she didn't hear the garage door open. She shoved another peanut butter cup in her mouth and noticed him watching her in the doorway. She quickly stuffed the candy wrapper in her back pocket, but she knew she was busted. _

"_Hi, honey," Derek said sweetly, placing his briefcase on the floor. He walked towards her with a sly expression on his face. "Whatcha eating?"_

_Meredith swallowed before she answered, giving herself time to make something up. "I was…I was eating a carrot," she lied._

_Derek nodded with a smile. "That's strange. I don't recall your eyes rolling back in your head before when you ate carrots. I've seen you do the eyeball thing when you eat…say…chocolate." He stood with his hands behind his back, giving her a knowing look. He leaned in to kiss her._

_Meredith pushed her palms against his chest. "What are you doing?"_

"_I'm going to kiss my wife," Derek informed her. _

_Meredith shook her head, "You can't. I have mega bad breath."_

"_Chocolate breath," Derek nodded._

"_What?" Meredith spat. "I am not eating chocolate."_

"_Prove it," he taunted her._

"_Prove it how?" she asked sarcastically. He was starting to piss her off._

"_Let me smell your breath," he grinned at her. _

_Meredith reached for her water bottle, taking a huge gulp and swishing the water back and forth in her mouth. She swallowed and cleared her throat, moving her tongue around her gums to make sure there was no evidence of…carrots._

"_No," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're weird."_

_Derek studied her face, his blue eyes gazing at her. Meredith stared back at him._

"_Look me in the eyes and tell me that you were eating a carrot," he said._

_Meredith rolled her eyes. She stared at his forehead. "I was eating a carrot."_

"_You're staring at my forehead, Mer," Derek said._

"_No, I'm not. Are you gaining weight?" She tried to change the subject._

_Derek nodded. "Twelve pounds since I've been eating your cravings for you. All those chocolate cravings you've been having. That and strawberry ice cream."_

_Meredith looked at the floor. "And then, after gaining those twelve pounds for my wife, I ask her to kiss me and she won't." He stuck out his lip in a pout._

_Meredith quickly pecked his lips with hers, but when she tried to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and grabbed the peanut butter cup wrapper from her back pocket. He held it up to her. "How did this get in your pocket?" _

"_Fine!" Meredith huffed. "I ate chocolate! I am a weak woman, Derek! Are you happy, now? I caved! I haven't had chocolate in over a month and it's really starting to get to me! I don't know how a person lives with diabetes day in and day out. I'm freaking out and I've only been sugarless for a month. It's crazy, freaking crazy." He watched in amusement as she turned to leave the kitchen., muttering to herself. _

"_Hey, you still didn't give me a kiss!" he called after her, hearing the office door slam._

Meredith walked up to Mark and Lexie at the reception. "I am so sorry, Mark," she apologized to him.

Mark grinned at her. "Don't worry about it. I love those boys. They remind me of Derek and I when we were younger. It's all good."

"Still, I don't know what came over them. You're okay, right?" Meredith asked.

He put his arm around Lexie. "Our late evening activities will not be postponed."

Meredith and Lexie giggled. "Besides, they're boys, Grey, and boys will be boys." Mark chuckled.

"As far as I'm concerned, he deserved it," Derek said, coming up beside his wife and putting his arm around her. "After everything this bastard put me though the past thirty plus years, karma's a bitch." Derek reached his hand out to Mark. "Congratulations, you've finally grown up."

Mark chuckled. "Thanks, man."

Derek could feel Meredith tense up as Thatcher walked up to the group. Derek instinctly pulled Meredith closer to him and she wrapped her arm around his waist. Thatcher cleared his throat and looked at Lexie for a moment. She smiled and nodded, giving him the encouragement he needed. "Meredith," he started, looking at her. He glanced at Derek, "Dr. Shepherd." Thatcher reached his hand out to shake Derek's hand.

"It's Derek," Derek said, reaching his hand out to meet his and shook it.

"Derek," Thatcher repeated. "I just wanted to tell you both that you have a beautiful family. Those boys," Thatcher stopped to laugh," they are something else. Funny little things." He stopped laughing and looked at Meredith. "And your daughter looks just like you did when you were a baby, Meredith. She's beautiful."

Meredith nodded her head forcefully, squeezing Derek's side, but didn't say anything.

"Isn't she, though?" Derek said, taking the hint. "Not only does she look like her mother, she acts like her, too," he joked. "Bossy." He squeezed Meredith's waist affectionately.

Thatcher chuckled. "Anyway, I just wanted to say you have a beautiful family." He turned to leave.

"Would you like to meet them?" Meredith suddenly said. "The children?"

Thatcher's face broke out in a wide smile. "I'd like that a lot," he nodded. "Thank you."

Meredith nodded a reply and pulled Derek towards the table where Carolyn and Izzie were with the children. Thatcher and Lexie followed. As they walked away, Meredith heard Mark call to Thatcher, "Be careful, that youngest boy of theirs has a mean right hook!"

**I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. I felt it was inevitable that Thatcher be in this chapter because of the Mark/Lexie wedding. I still have mixed feelings about him, but Meredith is proud of her children. Who wouldn't want to show them off?**

**Don't forget to leave me love. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I expect lots and lots of birthday comments!!!!! **


	21. Happy Birthday, Derek

**Disclaimer: It's not mine.**

**Thanks to everyone for all of my birthday comments! I greatly appreciated them. I also appreciate the fact that you all take the time to read my story. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Twenty: Derek's Birthday**

Meredith shoved a newspaper under Cristina's nose. "Tell me if you think I'm crazy for doing this," she said.

Cristina gave Meredith a puzzled look and grabbed the paper to see what she was talking about. "Strippers needed, make tons of cash," Cristina read. She looked up at Meredith with a smirk.

"No!" Meredith hissed. "Not that one! The one below it!"

"Can't cook to save your life? Well, your life is about to change," Cristina read. "Transform yourself into a cooking wonder." She raised her eyebrows at Meredith.

Meredith stared back at her. "I think I am going to sign up for that class," she explained. "For Derek's birthday."

"You're going to take a cooking class for Derek's birthday?" Cristina asked skeptically. "You, Meredith Grey, a woman of many skills. One of those skills is not cooking. Why would you do that to the man?"

Meredith glared at her person. "Because, Cristina. I want to cook for him and…and, I need to. Carolyn has been cooking for us nonstop. Derek loves his mother's cooking, I think almost as much as he loves me. You know what will make him love me more? Meredith with an apron. Seriously," Meredith said when Cristina raised her eyebrows at her skeptically. "I know that once his mom goes back to New York, Derek will go through home cooking withdrawal or whatever. I want to surprise him by knowing how to cook." She grabbed the paper back from Cristina and looked at it thoughtfully. "And, my kids deserve a mom that can cook."

Cristina smirked at her. " So, how are you going to pull it off? Going to the class, I mean."

"The class is on Tuesday and Thursday nights for four weeks. Derek usually works late those nights and Carolyn has extended her visit in order to celebrate Derek's birthday with us. This will work out perfectly." Meredith giggled excitedly. "He will be so surprised.

Cristina nodded her head slowly. Derek would definitely be surprised.

Meredith looked down at the floor as the instructor of her cooking class shook his head in disappointment at her. "Mrs. Shepherd," he started.

Meredith could feel her cheeks burning in humiliation. "Chef Jones, I'm very sorry about the countertop. I didn't realize the towel was that close to the burner…and…the cabinets above the counter…those cabinets caught fire quicker than I thought they would. I will replace everything for you, please, just send me the bill and I will take care of it."

She glanced at the chef quickly. "I'm also sorry about the turkey. I had no idea that you had to take the insides out before you cooked it." She sighed deeply. "And the pie," her eyes shot towards the ceiling. "I now know that the seeds need to come out of the apples before I put them in the pie."

"Mrs. Shepherd," the Chef Jones repeated. "I think it's safe to say that this class is too advanced for you. If I may recommend something to you, Mrs. Shepherd," he paused.

Meredith looked up at him. "Yes, sir?" she asked.

He hesitated for a moment. "You say you and your husband are surgeons," he stated.

Meredith nodded. "That we are. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, Mrs. Shepherd, please don't take this the wrong way, but is it safe to assume that you have the financial stability to hire a cook?"

Meredith glared at him, "Seriously? It is rather bold of you to recommend that my husband and I hire someone to cook for us. That is completely ridiculous! I am a surgeon, for crying out loud. I cut people open and fix their organs! I save lives for a living! Surely I can be taught how to cook!" She placed her hands on her hips and sighed in exasperation. "And you call yourself a cooking instructor."

Chef Jones looked taken aback. "I am a cooking instructor. For those who have the ability to cook. You, Mrs. Shepherd, do not."

"Did you just tell me that I'm hopeless when it comes to cooking?" Meredith demanded.

"Yes!" Chef Jones said. "Mrs. Shepherd, if I ever have a ruptured spleen or another organ that needs removed from my body, I would gladly come to you for assistance. You have the skills necessary to be a great surgeon. But, unfortunately, you do not have the skills needed to cook. I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I cannot help you." He held out his hand to her. Meredith sighed and shook it. "Actually, Mrs. Shepherd, I wanted my apron back."

"_Breakfast in bed," Derek announced, entering their bedroom. _

_Meredith slowly opened her eyes and focusing on her husband who was peering down at her with a breakfast tray in his hands. _

"_Breakfast for who," she mumbled, closing her eyes again._

"_Breakfast for you," he answered. "I thought you'd enjoy breakfast in bed today."_

_Meredith winced as she rolled over on her back. "What's the occasion?" she asked._

_Derek shook his head. "No occasion. Just wanted to do something nice for the woman I am in love with and who is currently playing incubator to my unborn child."_

_Meredith giggled as she scooted up against the head board and fluffed the pillows behind her. Derek smiled and placed the tray in her lap. Meredith looked down at her breakfast and frowned. "Muesli?" she said. "Seriously?"_

_Derek crawled into the bed and moved to his side. He snuggled up beside her. "Mer, every cereal in this house has a disgusting amount of sugar in it. I couldn't make French toast or pancakes because we're out of eggs. I thought that Muesli was the safest option. I brought you some blueberries, though" he said._

_Meredith sighed, grabbing a hand full of blueberries and shoving them in her mouth. "I never thought that there would be a day when I ate your cardboard tasting cereal," she said. _

_Derek chuckled. "My cereal is good, ask Noah. Cole eats it, too, if I add about a pound of sugar."_

_Meredith smirked, "smart kid." She picked up her glass of milk and took a sip. _

_Derek moved his hand to her stomach and rubbed it affectionately. "How is our baby this morning?" he asked._

"_I think still sleeping," Meredith yawned, staring at the bowl of crap in front of her. _

_She looked over at her husband who was looking at her with an amused expression. "What?" she asked._

"_If this baby is not a girl, I will be shocked," he stated, still rubbing her stomach._

_Meredith giggled, "Why's that?"_

"_Well," he scooped up a spoonful of Muesli and moved it towards her mouth. Meredith clamped her mouth shut for a moment, then reached up to plug her nose and opened her mouth. "Because she already acts like her mother."_

"_Really?" Meredith mumbled through her pinched nose as she chewed slowly on the cereal in her mouth. She unplugged her nose after she swallowed. "How does she already act like me?"_

"_Well, let's see. She very rarely gets up before ten, she kicks my hand away when I rub your stomach." He chuckled and pulled his hand away as the baby kicked. He leaned in to kiss where his hand was. "And she's bossy as all get out," he murmured into Meredith's stomach. "Not to mention, she's making her Mommy's life difficult by putting her through sugar withdrawal."_

_Meredith giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. "How is she making your life difficult?"_

_Derek looked up at her and grinned. "She's not, yet. She's waiting for the teenaged years to do that. She knows what she's doing. But, by the time those years come, she'll have me so tightly wrapped around her little finger I won't care."_

_Meredith rolled her eyes and pinched her nose again as Derek spooned another bite of cereal into her mouth. She chewed, swallowed and unplugged her nose. "I will remind you of this conversation the first time she brings a boy home." She giggled when Derek glared back at her._

"Good night, my sweet girl," Meredith cooed to Hannah as she put her in her crib. Hannah looked up at her, her eyes slowly fluttering shut. "Hopefully, you didn't inherit Mommy's crappy cooking genes and you will be a fabulous cook for your husband and kids." Hannah gave her a small smile before she drifted off to sleep. Meredith tucked her pink blanket around her and ran her hand along the top of her head. "Sweet dreams, beautiful," she murmured, quietly leaving the room. She walked across the hall to Noah's room. Usually, she and Derek tucked the kids in together, but he called to say that he was suddenly called into surgery and he would be home late.

She walked into Noah's room and giggled at the sight. Cole was lying on the bed, pretending to be sleeping while Noah had on his doctor's attire. "Bed time, boys. What are you doing?"

Noah looked up at her. "We playing brain man," he replied.

Cole lifted his head slightly off the bed and peered at her with one open eye. "Me sick. Noee fixin me."

Meredith nodded and giggled. "Is he going to make it, Dr. Shepherd?"

Noah pretended to listen through his stethoscope. "I think so. He needs a shot." Noah pretended to give Cole a shot in his arm. "This not hurt a bit," Noah told him.

Cole suddenly sat up and beamed at his mother. "Me better now!" he announced.

"That is fabulous news. You are a wonderful doctor, Dr. Shepherd," Meredith told him.

"Just like you and Daddy," Noah agreed.

Meredith looked at him curiously. "Who told you Mommy was a wonderful doctor?"

"Daddy did. He said yous the best," Noah said, starting to put his doctor kit away.

Meredith sat down on Noah's bed and thought for a moment on how she would word the next question. "What does Daddy say about Mommy's cooking?" she finally asked, half dreading the answer.

Noah looked at Cole and then looked at her. "Daddy is scareded," Noah said. "He gets scareded when you cook."

"Really?" Meredith asked. "Why do I scare him?" Noah and Cole looked at her seriously. Derek apparently had warned them about Mommy in the kitchen.

"'Cause, Mommy, there gets smoke all over the house and a very loud noise," Noah explained. "Daddy's ears hurted from the loud noise." Noah's and Cole's eyes got huge.

"Daddy wuvs you," Cole added. "Me wuvs you, Noee wuvs you, Hannie wuvs you…and Ge-maw!"

"Well, I love everyone, too." She rolled her eyes at Cole's attempt to change the subject. "Does Mommy cook anything that you like?" She asked.

Noah thought for a moment. "You cook yummy salads and," he paused, "pop-torn."

"Yous took dood Cheewios," Cole added.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Good to know that I mix salads well and push the popcorn button on the microwave correctly." She looked at Cole. "And it is very difficult to pour milk in your Cheerios. Thanks, boys," she said dryly.

"Welcome," they said.

Meredith knocked quietly on Carolyn's door. "Come in," she heard her call. Meredith opened the door and peered around the corner at her. Carolyn was propped up against the pillows doing a cross word puzzle. "Are my grandchildren asleep?"

Meredith nodded. "I was just checking to see if you needed anything before I go to bed," Meredith said, walking into the room and flopping down on the bed beside her.

Carolyn smiled at her. "I'm fine, dear." She put her book down. "But that's not why you came in here, is it?" She asked softly.

Meredith looked at her with wide eyes. "How did you know that?"

"Five children, dear," Carolyn reminded her. "What's on your mind?"

Meredith sat up suddenly. "I signed up for a cooking class to learn how to cook for Derek's birthday…I've only gone twice and after tonight, the instructor kicked me out because I accidentally set the cabinets on fire…" Meredith watched as Carolyn's eyes got wide. "and the countertop…and…I forgot to take the seeds out of the apples before I put them in the pie." Carolyn covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. Meredith sighed. "And I ruined the turkey." Carolyn burst out laughing. "Apparently, I'm too much of a liability to stay in the class." Meredith waited until Carolyn's chuckled subsided before she looked at her.

"Meredith," Carolyn gasped, grabbing her hand. "Meredith, what on earth?"

Meredith shrugged. "I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to cook. You have cooked for us every night since you arrived and Derek goes on and on about your cooking. I just…I don't know. I wanted to be able to cook for him like you do. I…he deserves a wifely wife who can cook."

"Meredith, I'm going to tell you something." Carolyn turned to face her. "When I first got married, I couldn't boil water. I thought for sure that my husband was going to leave me because for the first six months of our marriage, we had bologna sandwiches and cheese for every meal. "

"Seriously?" Meredith squeaked.

"Seriously," Carolyn confirmed.

"Then how did you become such a great cook?" Meredith asked incredulously.

"Well, my mother bought me a simple recipe cook book and every day, I would try a new recipe out of it. Before I knew it, I was cooking meals left and right."

"Wow," Meredith exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

"Meredith, I was just as clueless as you are about cooking when I first started my family." She thought for a moment. "You didn't become a brilliant surgeon overnight and you will surely not become an excellent cook overnight either. It takes practice and patience. I will help you."

Meredith shook her head vigorously. "Chef Jones said that I'm hopeless," she said.

Carolyn frowned. "Well, Chef Jones sounds like a typical man. You need someone who is patient that can show you the basics of cooking in a familiar place; your own kitchen. We'll start tomorrow. I'll make a cook out of you yet, dear."

"_The baby sounds great," Dr. Werner informed Derek and Meredith at her check-up. He held the Doppler heartbeat device on her stomach as the loud beats of the baby's heart echoed through the room. "One hundred seventy beats per minute." Dr. Werner wiped the gel off of Meredith's stomach and firmly squeezed her abdomen to feel the position of the baby. "Baby is head down, too. Perfect position for birth." He reached for a pen out of his lab coat and scribbled in Meredith's chart. "Your blood pressure is normal, you've been able to control your blood sugar, and your swelling is down. You are a centimeter dilated and you are about ninety percent effaced. Next time I see you, you will be at forty two weeks. I would say that if you haven't gone into labor by then, we will schedule an induction."_

_Meredith nodded, smiling at Derek who smiled back at her. "Sounds good," she said. "I can't wait to have this baby so I can eat sugar again." _

_Derek chuckled as he helped her off the examination table. "I will have a McFlurry waiting for you at the finish line, my dear," Derek said. "Consider it your focus point through labor." Meredith giggled as they exited the room. _

"_Take care, guys. Hopefully, I'll see you before next week," Dr. Werner called after them. Derek and Meredith turned to wave at him._

_Meredith intertwined her fingers in Derek's as they walked down the hallway towards the elevator. "Der, I need to stop by and see Miranda before we go," she informed him._

"_Dr. Bailey?" Derek questioned. "Why?"_

"_Umm, I can't tell you," she said. _

"_Why can't you tell me?" He gave her a curious look._

"_Because it's top secret. I don't want to say anything just yet." Meredith said._

"_What does Bailey have to do with it?" he asked._

"_She's assisting me," Meredith replied._

_Derek opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Dr. Bailey. "Grey, you look like you swallowed a watermelon. No baby yet, I see."_

_Meredith giggled. "The doctor is giving me this week to go into labor. If not, I'll be induced next week."_

_Dr. Bailey gave a slight chuckle and shook her head. "I had the chance to review those documents that you e-mailed me about the…"_

_Meredith cut her off. "Let's go talk about it in your office, Dr. Bailey," she glanced at Derek quickly. "I won't be long, honey."_

"_I'll get the boys at daycare and take them to the cafeteria for something to eat," he informed her. Meredith kissed his cheek and waddled quickly down the hall with Dr. Bailey, engrossed in deep conversation. _

_Derek sighed as curiosity overcame him. What was his overly pregnant wife up to and why was Dr. Bailey involved?_

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Noah exclaimed, handing his father a home made birthday card. "I made it for you!"

"What an awesome card!" Derek exclaimed with a wide smile on his face as he looked at his son's drawing. "Thank you," he kissed Noah on top of his head.

"Here, Daddy!" Cole said, handing him his card. "Cake, pwease?"

Derek chuckled. "Yes, you can have cake. Another awesome card from my buddy, Cole. Thanks!" He scanned the card with amused eyes.

Meredith handed Hannah to Carolyn and went to get the cake. With Carolyn's help the past few weeks, Meredith had managed to cook several meals for dinner, including the meal that night for Derek's birthday, all without burning the house down. The smoke alarms didn't go off once.

"Ma," she heard Derek say. "Once again, you've outdone yourself with a meal. I don't know what Mer and I will do when you go home." Meredith exchanged an amused glance with Carolyn.

"I think you'll be just fine, dear," Carolyn patted his arm.

"Daddy, Gamma played with me all day," Noah informed his father.

Derek smiled at his son, "Wow, Grandma played with you all day and still managed to cook a full course meal. We should call her Super Grandma, huh?"

Cole looked at his father with a frown. "Ge-maw not cookded. Mommy cookded."

"What?" Derek asked, looking up at his mother.

"Mommy cooked, Daddy," Noah said. "And we not have to cover our ears." He pointed at the smoke detector.

Derek snapped his head around to look at Meredith with wide eyes. "Meredith? You cooked?" he asked.

Meredith nodded. "I cooked."

Derek stood up and made his way over to her. "It..it was really…good," he said. "Delicious! You really cooked? Where'd you learn how to cook?"

"Derek, I cooked dinner all week. You just assumed that your mom cooked it. She's been helping me." She giggled. "And the kitchen is still standing."

Derek looked around the kitchen. "That it is," he agreed. "Wow, amazing!" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss. He pulled away and turned to Carolyn, giving her a smug look. "Ma, my wife cooks."

"She cooks quite well," Carolyn agreed. "And you have two boys here who are anxiously awaiting cake."

Meredith released herself from Derek's embrace and went to the refrigerator. Derek followed her. "Did you bake the cake, too?" he asked.

"No, it's from the store." she giggled, pulling the cake out of the fridge. "Baby steps, Der. Rome wasn't built in a day."

Derek stepped out of the shower and quickly dried himself off. He was anxiously awaiting the last of Meredith's birthday gifts from him. A gift that would most likely last the majority of the night. He was pumped as he walked out to the bedroom, but his smile quickly faded when he saw that their bed was empty. Empty, except for a piece of paper on his pillow.

Derek went over and picked the paper up, which was scribbled on in Meredith's handwriting. _"After your done with your shower, your last birthday gift awaits you. Meet me on our balcony. Clothes are optional. Love, Me." _Derek quirked his eyebrow at the optional clothing statement. He shrugged and let his towel drop. He made his way across the room to the French doors in the corner that opened up to a small balcony that overlooked Seattle. Derek opened the door and his eyeballs about popped out of their sockets at the sight before him. "Meredith," he gasped.

"I see you got my note," she said as she relaxed in their new hot tub.

Derek stood still, slowly nodding. "I did and I decided against clothes."

Meredith giggled. "I see that and from the looks of things, you are very happy to see me."

"You have no idea," Derek said.

"I'm personally glad that you decided not to wear clothes because," she motioned towards the steaming, bubbling water. "I thought it was too hot to wear any either." She giggled as Derek continued to stare at her with wide eyes. "You know, we had to have this balcony when we were planning the house. We hardly ever use it. Now, with a hot tub, we can spend more time out here, preferably naked."

"Definitely," Derek managed to choke out.

"Derek Shepherd, are you going to join me or what?" she asked, giving him a frustrated look.

He nodded and quickly jumped into the tub, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her face to his to meet their lips in a passionate kiss. After he kissed her senseless, she pulled away from him and smiled. "I love you, Derek. Happy Birthday."

**CHEESE! It couldn't be Derek's birthday without some cheesiness. Thanks to everyone for the fabulous reviews! I heart every one of you! **


	22. Daddy's Girl

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy**

**Once again, a big thanks to everyone for reading this story. I hope you like the update. I thought some Derek/Hannah moments needed to happen (and so did a few of my readers). Enjoy!**

**Chapter 21: Daddy's Girl**

Meredith frowned as her pager went off. She yanked the device from the waistband of her scrub pants and looked at it curiously. She felt the panic rise in her body when she saw that it was the daycare. They never paged her unless there was a problem. She rushed down the stairwell to the first floor. As she quickly approached the daycare, she could hear Hannah's cries grow louder.

Meredith breathlessly walked into the facility, frantically searching for her daughter. She saw her baby girl, red in the face from screaming, trying to be consoled by one of the daycare staff. Hannah squirmed in her arms as the worker bounced her around, trying to distract her.

"What happened?" Meredith asked her, grabbing Hannah out of her arms and holding her tightly against her chest. She patted the baby on her back, kissing her cheek and shushing her.

"Dr. Grey, she has been crying for a half hour. She's not hungry, we just changed her, and we can't get her to calm down." The woman gave Meredith a worried look.

Meredith pressed her lips to Hannah's forehead. "You're as cool as a cucumber, so you don't have a fever," she murmured to her. "Are you having a bad day, baby girl?" Hannah's cries faded to hiccups as Meredith walked her over to the rocking chair in the corner. She watched as Noah and Madison played together in the corner of the room. She giggled when she watched Noah pull out a chair for Madison to sit in. Madison sat down in the chair and Noah pushed it in too far, causing Madison's chest to cram into the table. Meredith giggled harder when she heard Noah say, "oh, sorry," when Madison turned around to glare at him.

"Hi, Mommy!" Cole said loudly, coming up beside his mother and sister. "Hi, Hannie!" he squealed, pressing his nose against hers. Hannah immediately started to cry again. Cole frowned, "Why her cry?"

Meredith sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with her, buddy."

"Well," Cole thought. "Her need a nap."

Meredith raised her eyebrow at him and looked at her watch. "She just woke up from her nap."

"Oh, right," Cole replied. "Her want her bubba."

"She just ate," Meredith said, smiling at him.

"Hmm," He thought. "Her poop?"

"No, don't think so," Meredith said, holding her up to smell her diaper. "Nope."

"Hannie a cry baby," Cole announced, turning to walk away.

"Hi, Mommy!" Noah called, looking up from his 'date' and noticing his mother. He turned to look at Madison. "I go see my Mommy?" he asked. Madison nodded and Noah walked towards his mother. He frowned at his screaming sister. "What da matter wif my sister?"

"She's having a bad day. She's not happy," Meredith said.

"She was happy when Daddy was here," Noah informed her. "She cried when he lefted."

"Daddy was here?" Meredith asked him. Noah nodded. Meredith rolled her eyes, knowing what Hannah's problem was. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed her husband's number.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

"Derek, you need to stop spoiling her," Meredith warned as they walked into Derek's office. Because Derek had about a two hour break between surgeries, he decided to take his kids to play in his office.

"I am not spoiling her," he argued, looking down at Hannah and kissing her on top of her curly blonde head. She looked up at him and giggled, completely content in her father's arms. "I can't help it you're my princess," he whispered to her.

Meredith grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and laid it on the floor so Derek could put Hannah on it. Derek started to put her down, but she clutched on tighter to his shirt and started to whimper. He stood back up with her and kissed her cheek. He caught his wife's look and smiled sheepishly at her. "Daddy's girl," he shrugged.

"Daddy, why do you open doors for Mommy?" Noah asked.

"Because that's what gentlemen do, son." Derek said. "And you can watch their butts when they walk through the door."

"Derek!" Meredith hissed. "Completely inappropriate."

"What?" he laughed. "It's the truth. I look at your butt when I open the door for you."

"Pervert," she said.

"You know it," he replied, leaning in to kiss her. Meredith smiled and shook her head at him, sitting down on the leather couch. Cole came up to her with a story. "You read this?" he asked.

Meredith nodded and pulled him into her lap, cuddling him into her as she started reading the story. Derek moved to the chair at his desk, sitting down with Hannah in his lap.

Noah started rummaging through the drawers of Derek's desk. He pulled out a roll of breath mints. "Daddy, can I have these?" he asked.

"Why?" Derek asked.

"I need them," Noah replied.

"For what?" Meredith asked, looking up from the book.

"For when I kiss Madison so don't have bad bref," he rolled his eyes, looking at his parents like they were the stupidest people in the world.

_**Capsaicin," Meredith said, pacing the length of Dr. Bailey's office. Dr. Bailey watched her curiously, swearing that she could see the gears grinding in Meredith's brain. **_

**"_Capsaicin?" Dr. Bailey repeated, in disbelief. _**

_**Meredith stopped pacing and looked at her. She winced and moved her hand to the small of her back, stretching her hips back and forth. "Yes, capsaicin. The main compound found in chili peppers. Research on this has been done in Maine and I'm almost positive that we can finish this research and possibly find a cure." Meredith patted her huge stomach affectionately. "That is, once the little one is here and I'm back to work."**_

_**Dr. Bailey looked at her for a moment and then looked at the pile of information that lay in front of her. "How can I help?"**_

_**Meredith smiled. "I need an attending in general surgery to oversee this and I need you to convince Richard to let us give this a shot."**_

_**Dr. Bailey stared at Meredith with a thoughtful expression. "You've really thought about this," she observed.**_

_**Meredith rolled her eyes. "I have been sitting at home, bored out of my mind for the past three months. My husband will not allow me to do a thing and he very rarely lets me get out of bed. Trust me; I've had a lot of time on my hands. So, are you in or what?"**_

_**Dr. Bailey paused. "Well…capsaicin…hmmm," she remained silent. **_

_**Meredith moved forward, placing her hands at the edge of the desk and leaning in as far as she could to look Dr. Bailey in the eye. "Yes, I kid you not. Research has proven successful when lab mice that were injected with the disease became healthy within twenty four hours after the capsaicin compound was introduced to circumvent the effects of reduced neurons in the pancreas." Dr. Bailey raised her eyebrows at Meredith's knowledge. "We would just need to adjust the cocktail appropriately for it to be injected into a human pancreas." Meredith crossed her arms and looked at Dr. Bailey in anticipation. **_

**"_What did Derek say about it?" Dr. Bailey asked._**

**"_I haven't told him yet. Are you kidding me? He'd suffocate me with support. I need to make sure that I'm thinking clearly for this to be successful before I tell him. My husband becomes prematurely supportive with things I do."_**

_**Dr. Bailey chuckled, knowing how Dr. Shepherd felt about his wife. Meredith stared at her, waiting for her answer.**_

_**Dr. Bailey stared back at her for a moment, "Okay, I'm in," she finally said, standing up from her chair. "We'll get started on it once you get back to work. In the meantime, I will talk with Richard about it and you contact the ILB to complete the necessary paperwork."**_

_**Meredith smiled with relief and reached out her hand for Dr. Bailey to shake it. "I look forward to working with you, Dr. Bailey."**_

**"**_**Likewise, Dr. Grey," Dr. Bailey smiled**_

"I am so glad that is over," Derek whispered to Meredith as the closing credits of the movie "Finding Nemo" displayed on the screen. "I was contemplating asking you to run me over with the car. How did we get suckered into watching this again?" He was sprawled out on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor with Meredith using his stomach as a pillow. Noah and Cole were laying side by side with their heads propped up by their hands and their eyes glued to the television. Hannah was staring at her father beside Meredith, chewing on her teething rings.

Meredith giggled. "Finding Nemo is a great movie, Derek. He's a fish with one working fin and he is resilient. From watching this movie, our kids will learn that although people have disabilities, they are no different than any of us."

Derek ran his fingers through her hair. "Mmmhmm, I agree. That doesn't mean we need to watch it a hundred times."

Meredith smiled. "You love every minute of this. Name one thing that you'd rather be doing instead."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and gave her a devilish look.

Meredith groaned. "Forget I said anything."

"Too late," he glanced at his watch. "You're mine in a half hour. I'll give Hannah her bath." He stood and picked up Hannah.

"No, I want to give her a bath," Meredith argued, standing and reaching for the baby. "You bathed her all week."

"And, I'll bath her tonight," Derek answered. "Mer, no offense, but she doesn't want you."

Meredith glared at him. "Yes she does. I'm her mommy. Look." She held out her hands to Hannah, who immediately turned her head away and grasped tighter to her father's shirt. "Hannah, come to mommy," Meredith said.

To make his point, Derek tried to hand the baby over to her. Instead of going willingly, Hannah grasped at her father tighter and began to whimper. "See? She wants me."

"Whatever, Derek," Meredith muttered. She turned to Noah and Cole, "come on, boys, let's go get our pajamas on." She looked back at Hannah and gently poked her finger at her stomach. "You remember that, sweet pea, when you want your ears pierced," she gave Derek a wicked look. "Or your belly button." Derek narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to giggle. She winked at him as she made her way to the stairs.

"Over my dead body," she heard him mutter.

_**Derek paced the kitchen waiting for Meredith to get home. She had been away from him all weekend and he was going insane without her. Alex had gotten Izzie a weekend spa getaway for her birthday, but blatantly refused to go with her. Izzie had asked Meredith to go, thinking that a relaxing weekend at a spa would do her overly pregnant friend some good. **_

_**Although he missed her terribly, Derek was able to complete his house project as a surprise for Meredith when she returned. Mark had offered to help and Lexie took the boys for the weekend so that they were not in the way. The project was completed in two days.**_

_**Derek stood up from the bar stool in the kitchen when he heard Meredith's car pull into the garage. He made his way to the garage and smiled at the sight of his wife. "Hey," he said softly, opening up her car door and helping her out. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Meredith smiled against his lips. **_

**"_You must be glad to see me," she said when they ended the kiss._**

**"_I am. I missed you." He wrapped his arms around her and smiled at the feel of her large stomach pressing against his. "How was the spa?"_**

_**Meredith giggled. "It was amazing, Derek. Full body massages, facials, pedicures. Someone's hands were always massaging some part of my body." She sighed at the memory.**_

_**Derek frowned. "Those hands had better not have been the hands of a man."**_

_**Meredith rolled her eyes. "Derek, I am, like, twenty month's pregnant. I scare men off left and right with my enormous stomach."**_

**"_Good," Derek nodded. "I do what I have to do so men know you're off limits. And I love your stomach," he leaned over to kiss her belly. "Hi, Princess. It's Daddy."_**

**"_Derek, if this baby comes out a boy he's going to think his name is Princess. You've called this baby that from day one."_**

_**Derek shook his head. "It's not a boy. It's a girl."**_

**"_How do you know that?" Meredith asked._**

**"_Daddies just know these things. Trust me, it's a girl." His face broke out in a huge smile. _**

**"_What?" she asked. _**

**"_I have a surprise for you," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the house. _**

**"_A surprise?" Meredith squealed. "What is it."_**

_**Derek remained silent as he led her up the stairs and to the guest room. He turned around to look at her, the smile still plastered on his face. "I did some work in here while you were gone," he confessed.**_

_**Meredith giggled. "Let me guess, you had two nights without my snoring and you've realized that you can no longer sleep with me, so you've moved me to the guest room."**_

_**Derek shook his head. "No way. I haven't slept in two days because you weren't beside me snoring," he said. "Now, close your eyes."**_

_**Meredith closed her eyes as Derek opened the door and pulled her inside. She could smell fresh paint as she walked in. She immediately opened her eyes and gasped at the sight. **_

_**Derek had transformed their guest room into a nursery. A nursery perfectly decorated for a little girl. **_

_**Derek watched her as she walked around the room. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. On the wall, a castle was painted in the distance with the valley displayed in front of it. It was painted to appear that the road leading to the castle started at the bottom of the bedroom wall. The window seat was decorated with lavender colored pillows and lace. The brass crib was designed with a canopy and the lavender colored bedding set matched the pillows on the window seat. She smiled at the embroidered pillow that read, "Our Princess Sleeps Here". Meredith felt tears forming in her eyes. Her husband was amazing.**_

_**Derek cleared his throat and Meredith looked up at him. "What do you think?" he asked. "Do you like it?"**_

_**Meredith smiled at him. "I love it, Derek. It's the perfect room for a little girl."**_

_**Derek nodded in agreement. "It is."**_

**"_Derek," Meredith paused. "We don't know that it's a girl."_**

**"_Mer, I know it's a girl. I just…know," he said._**

**"_How?" She asked. "We weren't able to find out, unless you saw something and didn't tell me."_**

_**Derek shook his head and walked towards his wife. "Want me to tell you how I know it's a girl?"**_

**"_Humor me, Derek," she said._**

**"_Okay, when you were pregnant with Noah and Cole, you were beautiful. You glowed."_**

**"_Okay," Meredith said slowly. "I'm not beautiful this time around?"_**

_**Derek chuckled. "No, Meredith. If anything, you are more than beautiful with this baby. You're exquisite. This baby has enhanced your beauty so much that I have to believe it's a girl." He affectionately rubbed her stomach. "I know that our daughter will be just as beautiful as you are."**_

**"_Oh, Derek," Meredith whispered. "I think that's one of the sweetest things you've ever said." She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. "I love the room, Derek. I hope it's a girl, too."_**

"Good morning, Princess," Derek announced, coming into Hannah's room to get her ready for daycare. Hannah giggled at the sight of her father. She thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. He picked her up out of her crib and gave her several noisy kisses on each of her cheeks. "Mommy had a meeting with Dr. Bailey today," he informed her as he laid her on her changing table. "About a secret project that she won't even tell Daddy about," he said sarcastically. Hannah studied her father's face intently. Derek smiled at her. "I know, you'd rather have Daddy get you ready in the morning, huh?"

Hannah giggled as Derek tickled her stomach. He quickly dressed her and picked her up. He moved over to the rocking chair and sat down, turning her to face him. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he told her. "Besides your mommy." She looked exactly like Meredith, with her eyes, hair color and button nose. She also had Meredith's smile.

Derek glanced up when Noah walked into Hannah's bedroom. Noah had his shirt on backwards and inside out, one of the pant legs of his jeans was tucked inside his socks, and his hair was sticking out all over the place. Derek chuckled.

"I dress myself today," Noah announced. "I rock."

"You definitely rock, Tater," Derek agreed. He reached for his phone out of his pocket and held it up. "Say cheese for Mommy."

Derek chuckled again when Noah smiled brightly and yelled, "CHEESE!"

****************************************************************************************************************************************

"Meredith," Derek whispered in the darkness to his sleeping wife. He waited a moment for her to stir, but she didn't. "Mer," he nudged her slightly. "Meredith, baby, wake up."

Meredith opened her eyes suddenly and focused on the silhouette of her husband's head hovering over her. "What's wrong?" she said loudly, moving to sit up. Derek put his arm around her to keep her in place.

"I feel left out," he all but whined.

"What?" Meredith asked, confused as to what he was talking about.

"You and Dr. Bailey are being all secretive. I feel left out." His mouth turned into the same pout that Noah and Cole gave her.

Meredith turned to look at the alarm clock. "Derek, it is the butt crack of dawn and you woke me up to tell me that you feel left out?" she rolled over onto her side. "Go back to sleep," she mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head.

Derek wrapped his arm around her and pulled her as close to him as he could get. "For your information, I did not wake you up to tell you that." He buried his nose in her hair and breathed her in.

"Then what?" she mumbled from under the blanket.

"I want sex," he said. "Lots of it. We don't have to be up for forty five minutes so we could do it more than once."

Meredith giggled and pulled the blanket down to look at him. "How did your train of thought change from sex to feeling left out? Are you feeling okay?" She pressed the palm of her hand to his forehead.

He smiled and grabbed her hand, kissing the top of it. "I had every intention of cornering you in the resident's lounge this afternoon, but when I got there, you and Dr. Bailey were in a deep discussion about something you won't tell me about. Me…your husband…the love of your life…the father of your children…"

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling you yet. It's too soon."

Derek's eyes got big. "Are you pregnant?" His face broke out in a wide smile at the thought. He looked at her expectantly.

"Hell, no!" she said. "Oh, but you'd be all over that, wouldn't you?"

Derek frowned at her. "Yes, I would. I want as many of your crappy babies as you'll give me. We make great babies together." He flashed her his dreamy smile.

Meredith stared at him for a moment. "You may be charming, but I'm still not telling you," she giggled and rolled back over on her side.

Derek quickly moved himself, pinning her on her back with his weight. "Whatever, but now you must make up for it with sex," he said, kissing her fully on the lips. Meredith could feel herself melting into him as his lips devoured hers. She moaned as she felt his tongue enter her mouth. She moved her hands from around his waist and slowly ran them up and down his chest. She moved them into his hair and raked her fingernails over his scalp. Derek moaned at her touch.

He pulled back to look at her. "I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too," she said. "What?"

Derek's stare was intense. "You'll tell me, right? I mean, I am your husband. You'll tell me eventually? You won't keep it a secret from me." He looked at her with insecure eyes.

Meredith looked at the expression on his face and it broke her heart. Her husband meant everything to her and there was no reason why he couldn't know what she and Dr. Bailey were doing. "You really want to know?" she asked him. Derek nodded. Meredith rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, but you can never tell anyone…ever." Derek's face broke out into a wide smile as his wife filled him in on her plan.

**Okay, any guesses as to what Meredith and Dr. Bailey are up to? I will continue to provide hints throughout the upcoming chapters. By the way, has everyone seen Ellen Pompeo lately? Is she not the most cutest pregnant woman ever? **

**Thanks for reading! I love you all :)**


	23. Just You and Me

**Disclaimer: Not the owner of Grey's Anatomy.**

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. The restaurant scene was inspired by the episode of Punk'd on MTV with Ellen Pompeo. I've seen it on YouTube and it is hilarious!**

**Chapter 22: Just You and Me**

"Dr. Bailey, can you briefly go over with me the patients that we are meeting today, please?" Meredith asked, sorting through piles of paperwork that lay scattered atop her makeshift desk that she created in Dr. Bailey's office. Meredith had barged into her office a few weeks ago telling her that because they were working so closely together on their project, they needed to be in close proximity to one another. Dr. Bailey had simply raised her eyebrows at her and didn't say a word. As a matter of fact, she liked Dr. Grey, and she actually enjoyed her company.

Dr. Bailey picked up the clipboard. "Jonathan Jackson, thirty-three year old male who was diagnosed when he was twelve. He is a type one diabetic. For the past few months, he has been unable to manage his condition successfully with Novolog, so Dr. Trubadel from Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania recommended that he come here. Mr. Jackson has a family history of high blood pressure, congenative heart failure, and diabetes. Upon admittance this morning, his blood sugar was at two hundred ten."

Meredith yawned as she scribbled down what Dr. Bailey was reading to her. She had been on call all night and hadn't been to bed in over twenty four hours. Her ass was dragging. She planned on sneaking down to the daycare to visit with her kids for awhile after rounds and then slip away to the on call room to sleep awhile. Maybe she would page Derek to nap with her.

"Second patient, Leslie Taylor, twenty eight year old female who was diagnosed with the condition last year. She has had three pregnancies, all of which she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. After her third child's birth last year, her diabetes did not resolve. She is currently taking Glucotrol, the pill form of insulin. Upon admittance, her blood sugar level was 110. She lives in Spokane and her brother, who is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Seattle Presbyterian, referred her here."

"No family history?" Meredith asked, sipping at her coffee.

"Nope."

"Okay," Meredith stood up. "I have rounds. We'll meet up later to talk with them?"

"Page me," Dr. Bailey said.

Meredith made her way down the hall toward the nurses station. She rummaged through her pockets for her pen. What the hell did she do with it? Someone came up behind her and pulled her into the supplies closet nearby. She looked up into the twinkling blue eyes of her husband. Before she could say a word he pulled her in for a quick but passionate kiss. He hummed as his lips traveled down one side of her neck and up the other.

"You're very happy," she observed.

"I am happy," he said between kisses on her neck. "I'm happy to see you. I missed you last night." He pulled away to look at her, noticing that she wasn't reacting to his kiss the way he wanted her to. "You're not happy."

"No, I've just been here all night," she replied. "I'm tired as hell."

"Hmm, anything I can do to help?" He kissed her lips lightly.

"Yes, give me a pen, I can't find mine," she said.

Derek smiled at her and pulled the pen perched on her ear. "You mean this pen?"

Meredith gave him a small smile. "Thanks," she grabbed it from his hands. "How were the kids this morning?"

"Good. Had to break up a food fight between the boys, but there were no injuries."

Meredith giggled. "That's good. Hey, I have this weekend off. Let's do something fun," she smiled. "I miss you."

Derek kissed her. "I miss you, too. We'll talk about it later?"

Meredith kissed him again quickly. "Yeah, I have rounds now." She searched her pockets again. "Damn it! What the hell did I do with my stethoscope?"

Derek walked over to her, took the stethoscope off her shoulders where it was draped and smiled at her. "You mean this stethoscope?"

Meredith rolled her eyes and grabbed it. "I need a vacation," she said, leaving the closet.

Derek watched her go. A weekend vacation was a great idea.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary," Mark informed Derek as he walked into Derek's office. "What's your deal?"

Derek looked up from the computer screen and smiled. "Sonoma is my deal. I'm taking Meredith away for the weekend…alone. I'm going to surprise her."

"Sonoma?" Mark asked. He smiled and nodded. "Nice!"

"Mer has been working so hard on this project she's doing with Miranda and we haven't been able to spend that much time together. She and I both have off this weekend and I have a plan. I am going to whisk her away to Sonoma, get her drunk on wine, and have my way with her all weekend." Derek could feel the sexual excitement flowing through his veins at the though of having Meredith alone, naked in bed, for forty eight hours. "Oh, and tell Lexie I said thanks for offering to watch the kids." Derek smirked at Mark.

Mark sat down on the chair. "Hmm…how can I corrupt their minds this time?" he said out loud, rubbing his hands together.

Derek groaned. "It took Mer and I almost two weeks the last time we went away to stop Noah from making arm pit farts, Mark. Remember the holiday concert?"

Mark howled at the memory. "That was great! Noah the wise man making arm pit farts at baby Jesus! That kid will go down in history at the Seattle Grace Daycare!"

"Uh huh," Derek nodded. "I got lectured by Meredith the entire way home about how she would not be known at work as the doctor with the bad kids."

Mark chuckled. "You have to admit that was pretty funny."

Derek smiled and nodded. "It was funny. I called Mom and told her about it. I thought for sure Meredith was going to kill you."

Mark nodded. "I still have the message saved on my voicemail. I listen to it when I need a good laugh."

**_Meredith's blood was boiling as she rode in silence on the way home. She had just experienced the most humiliating moment in her life as a mother. Her precious three year old son, wise man in the Christmas play, handed Mary his gift of frankincense and then proceeded to show the baby Jesus how he could do arm pit farts. The entire audience full of parents, colleagues of hers none the less, who came to see their children in the play chuckled in amusement. Even her freaking husband thought it was funny. If she could have, Meredith would have crawled into a hole._**

**_She looked over at her husband who was trying to avoid conversation by searching through the radio stations. She quickly swatted his hand away from the knob and shut the radio off. "Derek," she said shortly. "Please tell me that what just happened really didn't happen."_**

**_Derek tried his best not to laugh. "Nope, it definitely happened," he answered. _**

**"_How is it funny, Derek? This is not funny. That freaking Mark needs to be taken out back and shot for teaching Noah such a thing. Seriously! What the hell was he thinking? I need to have a few words with him." She pulled her phone out of her purse and began dialing. _**

**_Derek looked over at her. "Who are you calling?" He had called Mark five minutes ago to warn him that Meredith was out for blood._**

**"_Uncle Mark," Meredith said sarcastically. "I'm going to give that idiot a piece of my mind. Chicken shit! He won't pick up the phone. He put me to voicemail." She waited for the beep. Derek kept his eyes on the road knowing that if he looked over and saw the expression on her pregnant, hormonal face, he'd be next on her bitch out list from laughing so hard. _**

**"_Mark freaking Sloane. You are so dead. You wait until I get my hands on you. You have five minutes to call me back so I can tell you about the night I've had thanks to you teaching my innocent child how to do arm pit farts. He did them right in the middle of his concert, Mark! In front of Dr. Bailey and her husband, Dr. Nelson and his wife, several of the nurses whose kids go to daycare there and…Steve! So, you have five minutes to call me back so I can give you a piece of my mind. If I don't hear from you, I swear to God Mark that I will personally drive myself to your place and ring your neck! I may be pregnant and…pregnant, but I'm scrappy. I didn't grow up in a trailer park like Izzie, but I grew up in Boston. I will kick your ass into your shoulder blades! Be afraid, Mark. Be very afraid." She clicked her phone shut and sighed. "His voicemail cut me off."_**

**"_I think you made your point, honey," Derek said, reaching over to pat her arm. _**

**"_Oh, listen to you, mister supportive!" Derek sighed. He was next. "Thanks to your best friend, I will now be known as the doctor at Seattle Grace Hospital with the bad kids! That cannot happen, Derek! But, not like you care considering how you were laughing like a fool while the whole thing happened."_**

**"_Mer," Derek started, but was cut off my Meredith's cell phone ringing. _**

**_She picked it up and smirked at Derek. "Mark Sloane calling," she announced. Meredith flipped open her phone. "So, Mark, I see you got my message."_**

Meredith giggled as Derek helped her into the elevator at their hotel. They had managed to pry themselves from each other and get out of bed long enough to go on a Sonoma wine tour. Her wonderful husband had arranged for a limo to pick them up outside of their hotel and they spent the afternoon touring Sonoma and sampling wine. Derek wrapped his arm around Meredith's waist as they got into the elevator. "Mer, how much wine did you actually swallow?" Derek chuckled.

"All of it, it was sooo good!" She wrapped her arms around her husband. He leaned down to kiss her quickly, but Meredith quickly moved her hands to the back of his head, deepening the kiss. She pulled back and gave him a serious look. "You know I like to swallow," she giggled again at her joke. Derek shook his head at her and smiled. Meredith was a trip when she drank.

She pulled his face to hers again and kissed him passionately. He put out a silent thanks that the elevator was empty as he felt Meredith's hand travel to his crotch and massage him through his jeans. He smiled against her lips figuring that his previous idea of dinner would be temporarily postponed because he knew what his wife had in mind.

He pulled away from her and caught his breath. "What about dinner?" he murmured, pulling her lips back to his and kissing her passionately.

Meredith trailed her lips up the side of his face and to his ear. "Hmmm, sex first, dinner later," she whispered huskily.

"You're the boss," Derek agreed as the elevator dinged at their floor. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"You are so strong and manly," Meredith giggled again, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly. "I love it when you show me how strong you are. It really turns me on." She nibbled on his earlobe as she hummed in his ear.

Derek chuckled. "I love it when you're drunk. Where's the key?"

"Back pocket," Meredith said as she sucked lightly on his neck. "God, you smell so good. Makes me want to eat you right up," she whispered. Derek reached into her back pocket and pulled out the key. He quickly unlocked the door and moved the both of them inside the room. He placed her onto her feet and backed her against the wall. He met his mouth to hers in a deep kiss.

"You taste like grapes," he said as he trailed kisses up her cheek. "So sweet."

Meredith giggled yet again. "I'm as sweet as candy, baby. You should taste more of me," she whispered seductively.

"I plan on it," Derek laughed, picking her up again and moving them to the bed. He placed her gently at the edge and she scooted back. He moved himself on top of her and gazed into her eyes. "You are beautiful, Meredith," he murmured, tracing his thumbs along the contours of her face. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Meredith smiled up at him, feeling her spine tingle at his words. Her husband always complimented her about her looks, but for some reason (and Meredith wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or not) the words he just spoke to her made her fall in love with him all over again.

"I love you," was all she could muster to say to him. She raked her fingers through his unruly curls and gazed into his blue eyes. "Make love to me," she whispered.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

They definitely worked up an appetite hours later as they looked at their menus, seated dangerously close to each other in the hotel's restaurant downstairs. Derek's hand was securely placed on Meredith's thigh. Meredith placed her hand overtop of his and intertwined their fingers. "So," he said, "are you having a good time this weekend?"

Meredith looked up from her menu and gave him a slight smile. "Yes, I definitely am. I miss the kids though."

Derek smiled back at her. "Me, too. We'll be home tomorrow."

Their conversation was interrupted by their waitress. "Hello, my name is Stephanie and I'll be your waitress this evening." Stephanie smiled widely at Derek, not once glancing at Meredith. "Can I show you the wine list?"

Derek looked at Meredith for an answer. Meredith shook her head. "I think I've had enough wine for the day, but get it if you want it, honey."

Derek shook his head. "No wine for us, thank you." He smiled at Stephanie, who began to giggle. "I think we'll just have water."

Stephanie scribbled their request down on her notepad. Still looking at Derek, she once again flashed him her smile. "Have you decided on your order?"

Derek looked at Meredith again and noticed the annoyed expression on her face. "Umm, maybe a few more minutes," he said hesitantly.

Stephanie nodded. "I'll be back with your water."

Derek turned to Meredith in concern. "What's wrong? Didn't you want water?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, the water is fine. It's that freaking waitress I want to strangle. Didn't you notice the way she was smiling and giggling at you like a teenager?"

Derek chuckled. "That's because she probably is a teenager, Mer."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "She is not. She has to be in her twenties, Derek. She was practically drooling all over our table."

"Jealous much?" he said, smiling at her. He had to admit that he was flattered his wife showed a flicker of jealousy. Her being jealous of other women turned him on. She knew that she had no reason to be jealous. He belonged to her.

"I am not jealous," she argued. "It's just when I place an order, I expect the waitress to look at me."

Derek squeezed the hand that he was holding. "Mer, I guarantee that it's nothing. When she comes back and you order, she will show you just as much attention as she's shown me. Here she comes, watch."

Stephanie made her way to their table with two glasses of water. She placed Derek's glass in front of him and Meredith's in front of her plate, but never looked at her. "Thank you," Meredith said. Stephanie didn't respond.

Meredith gave Derek a look. He winked in return. "Are you ready to order?" Stephanie asked Derek.

Derek nodded. "Mer, you order first." He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows.

Meredith glared at Stephanie, who's eyes were still focused on her husband. "How many sides do you get with the eggplant parmesan?" she asked the waitress, whose gaze remained on her husband. Meredith looked at Derek with a smirk.

Derek looked at the waitress. "My wife asked you a question, miss," he said.

"What? Oh, sorry!" Stephanie said, pulling her gaze from Derek and looking at Meredith. "What was the question?" Meredith repeated her question and Stephanie gave her a quick answer. "I'll have that," Meredith said quickly while having her attention.

"And for you sir?" Stephanie turned to Derek, flashing him a wide smile. Derek placed his order with her and handed her the menus.

Meredith waited until she had left before she said anything. "See? I was right!"

Derek nodded. "Don't get upset, Mer. Do you want me to request another waitress?"

Meredith gave him a wide smile. "Now, what fun would that be?" He watched as his wife poured pepper into her water. She gave him a coy look. Just at that time, Stephanie had come back to the table with a bread basket, smiling brightly at Derek.

"Excuse me, Stephanie," Meredith said loudly. "Stephanie!" she said louder, finally getting her attention. "There is something floating in my water. Could you please get me a new one?"

Stephanie sighed and nodded, taking Meredith's glass away. She quickly came back with another glass and placed it in front of her. "Oh, I thought I told you I wanted a lemon."

"You didn't tell me you wanted a lemon," Stephanie protested.

"Well, I want one now," Meredith said shortly, giving Stephanie the look she gave Derek when she was pissed.

Stephanie's eyes got wide. "I'll be right back," she muttered as she turned and scurried away for her lemon.

Derek sat back, witnessing the dialect between the waitress and his wife. It was hilarious.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Next time she ignores me, I'm stabbing her with my fork," Meredith threatened. She giggled at Derek's wide eyed expression. "Can you imagine the look on her face as blood gushes out of her leg?"

"Okay, Mer, you're scaring me," Derek said, his eyes still wide. "There will be no forking waitresses." He looked up and noticed Stephanie approaching their table. He quickly grabbed Meredith's fork from beside her plate and put it where she couldn't reach it.

Meredith glared at him. "Give me my fork back!" she hissed.

"No," Derek whispered back. "I will not visit my wife in jail."

'"Here's your limes," Stephanie said shortly, putting the limes in the middle of the table. The waitresses shortness with her escalated Meredith's anger further.

"I said lemon," Meredith argued, furrowing her eyebrow. "I asked for lemons. Please bring me lemons."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "You asked for limes, ma'am."

"No, Stephanie, let me correct you. I asked for lemons and if your nose was not so far up my husband's ass, you would have heard me correctly. I asked for lemons, get me lemon's please."

Stephanie looked at Derek for confirmation. "My wife asked for lemons." Derek agreed. "Could you please get us some lemons?" Stephanie nodded and quickly left the table. He looked at his fuming wife beside him.

"I'm still not giving you your fork," he said.

"Fine," Meredith rolled her eyes. "But we're not leaving her a tip."

**"_Oh, Derek! God, that feels so good," Meredith moaned, arching her back off the bed. "Right there, oh…oh…yes! You're hands...my God!" Meredith flung her arm over her eyes. "I love you," she breathed. "That was amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you."_**

**_Derek raised an eyebrow, "Mer, you'd swear we were having sex with all your loud moaning and groaning."_**

**_Meredith pulled her arm away from her eyes and looked down at her husband. "You give amazing foot rubs. I was verbally expressing my gratitude to you, smart ass." She moved the foot that Derek wasn't rubbing to nudge him in the ribs. "And just so you know, I do not moan and groan loudly when we have sex," she protested._**

**_Derek put her foot down and crawled up the bed beside her. "Mer, for the record, you are very loud during sex. You're just lucky that our boys are deep sleepers."_**

**_Meredith glared at him, "And you're not loud?"_**

**_Derek shook his head. "I'm not as loud as you are." He smiled widely at her. "Although, I could be wrong. Maybe we should find out."_**

**_Meredith giggled. "You want to have sex with me? I'm as big as a house."_**

**_Derek ran his hand over her stomach. "You are not as big as a house and yes, I want to have sex with you. I love having sex with you." He moved his hand under her neck and pulled her to him, admiring her eyes. "Look at all the kids we have." _**

**_Meredith rolled her eyes and met his lips in a soft, wet kiss. "I love having sex with you, too," she murmured. _**

**"_Then why the hell are we still talking?" he growled, pulling her face back to his to kiss her. His tongue entered her mouth as the kiss deepened and she sucked on it lightly. She felt his hand move its way under her shirt, rubbing her stomach affectionately and moving further up to cup her breasts. _**

**"_I need you here," she murmured against his lips, grabbing his hand and moving it between her legs. "Touch me here."_**

**_Derek did as she said, pushing the lacy fabric aside and finding her clit. He gently massaged her nub in slow circles as he pressed kisses on her neck. Meredith moaned deeply, raking her fingers through his hair. He moved his hand from her center and grabbed her hand, moving it towards his erection. "And I need you to touch me here," he whispered, moving his hand back to it's previous location Meredith quickly slid her hand into the front of his pajama pants and began massaging him. Derek groaned at her touch. _**

**"_Hi!" a familiar voice said from the doorway. _**

**_Derek and Meredith froze for a moment, staring at each other with wide eyes. They quickly moved away from each other and sat up, looking at their open door. Derek cursed himself for not closing it when they came to bed. _**

**"_What is you doing?" Noah asked, peering at them curiously. Cole was standing beside him with the same expression on his face._**

**"_Uh..," Derek stuttered. "Mommy and I were…well, we were…"_**

**"_Mommy had something in her eye and Daddy was helping her get it out," Meredith said quickly. _**

**"_Right," Derek agreed, adjusting himself quickly in his pants. _**

**"_No, you is kissin my mommy," Noah observed. "Me in Cole sawed it. Right, Cole?"_**

**"_Yep!" Cole agreed._**

**_Derek cleared his throat and said nothing. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. Meredith rolled her eyes. "Yes, Daddy kissed Mommy because she had an owie and Daddy was kissing it better," she explained. Derek looked at her, giving her silent thanks for thinking of something to say. _**

**"_What are you two doing up?" Derek asked them in a stern voice. _**

**"_We forgotted to say night to the pwincess," Noah explained. _**

**_Meredith smiled at her boys. "You can come and say good night," she said, patting the bed for them to come. She moved back against the headboard as Derek moved beside her and put his arm around her. _**

**_Noah and Cole jumped onto the bed and crawled towards Meredith. Meredith pulled her shirt up, exposing her large stomach. Cole pushed in her protruding belly button and giggled. Noah leaned in and gave her stomach a raspberry kiss. "Night, pwincess," he said softly into Meredith's stomach. _**

**"_Ni-night," Cole said, leaning in to kiss her stomach. _**

**_The baby immediately kicked and both boys gasped at their mother. "Hers kickded us!" Noah said. _**

**"_The baby hears you," Meredith nodded._**

**"_That's her way of telling you boys that she loves you," Derek added, pulling Cole into his lap. _**

**"_When she come out?" Noah asked. _**

**"_In about three weeks," Meredith replied, running her fingers through Noah's hair. "Are you getting excited to see our new baby?" she asked the boys._**

**"_Yep!" Cole chirped. "We wub da pwincess!" _**

**"_How she get out of yous belly?" Noah asked. _**

**_Derek chuckled. "Yes, Mommy, how will she get out of your belly?" He smirked at her. _**

**_Meredith ignored her husband and smiled at her son's. She cleared her throat. "Remember how we watched those babies being born on television?" Noah and Cole nodded. "That's how our baby will come out, too."_**

**"_Oh," Noah responded. Meredith could see him processing what she said. "Will dere be bwud?"_**

**"_There will be some blood, buddy, but not a lot," Derek said. "Your mommy and sister will be fine." _**

**"_Okay," Noah nodded. "But how'd she get in dere?" He pointed to Meredith's stomach._**

**"_Daddy?" Meredith looked at Derek and smiled. It was his turn._**

**_Derek cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "How'd she get in there? Well, it's rather simple. Daddy and Mommy love each other so much that their love made a baby. That's how you got here," he pointed to Cole, "and you," he pointed to Noah. _**

**_Derek sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, apparently satisfied with his answer. _**

**"_I lub Madison ," Noah said. "We made a baby, too?" _**

**_Derek grimaced. Why the hell didn't he close that door?_**

"Daddy! Mommy!" Noah yelled, running to his parents as they walked in the door. Meredith quickly scooped him up and he wrapped his arms tightly around her neck.

"Cole! Mommy and Daddy are home!" he yelled to his brother.

Cole rounded the corner and jumped into his father's arms. "Daddy, I misted you!" He kissed his father on the tip of his nose.

"We missed you, too," Derek said, "Were you good for Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie?"

"I was an angel," Noah responded, giving Meredith one more squeeze around the neck and then squirmed to get down. He slapped his dad a high five as he left the room because, as he told Derek a few weeks ago, boys don't hug and kiss each other.

"Me, too," Cole said, reaching for Meredith. Meredith pulled him out of Derek's arms and gave him a tight hug. She put him down and he followed Noah into the living room.

"They were wonderful," Lexie said, coming into the kitchen with Hannah. "Hannah was a little cranky, but it looks like she's getting a tooth." Hannah saw her father and squealed in delight. She reached out to him for him to get her.

Derek smiled and took her from Lexie. "And how is my princess?" he murmured to her. "Daddy missed you." He kissed both of her chubby cheeks.

"And Mommy," Meredith said, putting her finger in Hannah's mouth to feel around. "You grew a tooth while we were gone?" she asked her. Hannah giggled.

"Hannie poopded. Unkie Mark says dross!" Cole informed his mother. Meredith giggled and looked at Lexie.

"I got called into the hospital, so Mark was in charge for a few hours. Hannah pooped and you know how Mark feels about changing diapers. He said he's scarred for life." Lexie giggled.

Derek laughed. "Good girl, Hannah. Daddy taught you well," he whispered.

"Lexie," Meredith groaned. "The last time Mark was alone with the kids, he taught Noah how to do arm pit farts."

Lexie giggled. "It's okay, Mer. Mark was on his best behavior."

"Hey, Mommy!" Noah said as he and Cole came around the corner and into the kitchen, both carrying their juice boxes. "Look what Uncle Mark taught us!"

"Oh, no!" Meredith closed her eyes for a moment, and slowly opening them again.

"Watch!" Noah said. He took a big gulp of his juice. "N-O-A-H," he burped loudly.

Cole giggled at his brother. "Watch me, Mommy!" Cole took a big gulp of his juice. "C-O-L-E," he burped loudly. Both boys burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, God!" Meredith groaned, her mouth dropping open.

"Uhh…sorry, Mer! I'm so sorry! I had no idea that he taught them that!" Lexie apologized, her face turning bright red.

Meredith looked at Derek, who was trying unsuccessfully to hold back his laughter. She rolled her eyes at him in disgust. "Mark Sloan shall die," she muttered.

**After this chapter, I hope you guys are catching on to what Meredith and Dr. Bailey are up to. Just so you know, it makes a great end to this story. Thanks so much for reading!! Leave me comments, people. Please comment if you haven't commented before. Now THAT would make my day!**


	24. King Cole

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy**

**As always, thanks for reading my story. Can I just say that I am ecstatic to hear that Ellen Pompeo is having a baby girl. That woman deserves all the happiness in the world. As you can tell, I'm kind of an Ellen fan….it's just too bad that Meredith isn't having a girl, or a baby for that matter, on the show. **

**Chapter 23: King Cole**

Derek and Meredith quietly snuck into Cole's room and observed that he was still sleeping peacefully under his Yankee's themed comforter, clutching his Dora doll. Derek looked at Meredith with a smile. "Let's wake up the birthday boy," he whispered.

Meredith nodded and the two of them crawled up on either side of him and propped themselves up on their elbows, both facing him. Derek leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Rise and shine birthday boy," he said softly.

Meredith laughed when Cole didn't stir. "Cole, today's your birthday. You're two today," she said. She saw Cole's eyes begin to flutter and a small smile formed on the corners of his mouth. She decided to play along. "I don't know, Daddy. The birthday boy won't wake up. What are we going to do with all those cupcakes downstairs in the fridge waiting to go to daycare?" Cole's smile grew wider, but his eyes stayed closed.

"Hmm," Derek said. "We'll just have to eat them."

"Even the ones with the blue sprinkles?" She asked in mocked shock.

"Oh, we'll eat those first," Derek nodded. "They taste the best."

"You know what tastes better than blue sprinkled cupcakes?" Meredith stifled a laugh as she watched Cole peer at her through semi-closed eyelids. "Chocolate chip and banana pancakes for breakfast."

"Ooh, yum," Derek agreed, smiling as Cole turned his head to look at him, eye lids still closed. "Since the birthday boy won't get out of bed, we'll have more for us."

"But it won't be as fun without the birthday boy. How do you think we can get him out of bed?" Meredith asked.

"I know," Derek answered. "We can sing Happy Birthday to him!"

"Great idea!" Meredith exclaimed.

Meredith opened her mouth to begin singing, but Cole's eyes snapped open and covered her mouth with his little hand. "No singin," he said. "Pwease no singin, Mommy. Daddy sing, you wisten."

Meredith's mouth dropped open and Derek snorted. "You don't want Mommy to sing Happy Birthday to you?" Derek asked.

"No," Cole shook his head. "Her not sing good." Derek burst out laughing and Meredith glared at him. Cole turned to look at Meredith and twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. "You maked me pantakes, Mommy?" he asked.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You want me to make you pancakes, but you don't want me to sing to you?" She pretended to pout.

"Dat right, but me still lub you," Cole replied, rubbing the palm of his hand on her cheek sympathetically.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Breakfast is served," Derek said, placing two plates of pancakes in front of Noah and Cole. "I hope these pancakes are to your liking, birthday boy. Mommy made them extra special for you." Derek waited as Cole shoved a bite into his mouth.

"Yummy inna tummy," he mumbled with his mouth full.

"Wait," Noah said, his eyes moving from Cole to his father. "It's Cole's birthday today?" Shock was evident on his face.

Derek nodded as he sat down beside Hannah to feed her oatmeal to her. "Today Baby Bear is two." He winked at Cole and smiled.

Meredith walked over to the table with two mugs of coffee. She placed one in front of Derek. "Your coffee," she said, leaning into him and kissing him quickly.

"Thank you," Derek replied. His eyes followed her as she sat down in the chair next to Noah.

"But, today?" Noah asked again.

"Yes, sweetheart, today is Cole's birthday. Remember we talked about it a few days ago?" Meredith ran her fingers through his hair. "Remember how you and Hannah went with Daddy to get him his present?"

"Yes," Noah said quietly, moving his pancake across his plate. "Will he get a party?"

"Tomorrow," Derek said. "Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie will come, and Cristina."

"Izzie and Alex, too." Meredith added. "And a few friends from daycare."

"All for Cole?" Noah asked glumly.

Derek and Meredith exchanged concerned looks. "Well, they will be coming for Cole's party, but they will be excited to see you and Hannah, too." Derek said.

"Okay," Noah said quietly. His face was set in a frown.

"Hey, Noah," Cole said.

"What?" Noah grumbled.

"It my birfday today," he informed him.

"Duh, Cole. I already knowded that so be quiet!" Noah snapped.

Meredith cleared her throat. "Noah, just because you're upset that it's Cole's birthday does not mean that you get to speak to him that way," Meredith said gently. "What do you say to him?"

Noah sighed. "Sorry, Cole." He stared at his plate.

Meredith sighed and looked at the clock. "Der, I have a meeting with Dr. Bailey in a half hour, so I have to go. Don't forget Cole's cupcakes in the refrigerator." She carried her coffee mug to the sink and walked back to the table. She kissed her children on top of their heads. "Happy Birthday," she whispered in Cole's ear when it was his turn for a kiss.

"He gets cupcakes, too?" Noah wailed. "This is such a bad day!"

**"_The baby is due in two weeks, Mer." Derek said as he entered the living room, carrying a glass of water for her. He flopped down on the sofa and handed her the glass. "Here you go." _**

**_Meredith gave him an annoyed look as she looked up from her laptop. She took the glass from him. "Derek, I am fully aware that the baby is due in two weeks. What's your point?" She took a big drink of her water._**

**"_My point is that we have yet to decide on a name for her," Derek informed her. "We should decide." He took the laptop from her and closed it. _**

**"_Right now?" Meredith asked._**

**_Derek nodded. "The sooner the better. I still like my choice of a name."_**

**_Meredith turned and put her feet in his lap. She settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes. "Derek, I'm not naming our daughter Zoe," she muttered. _**

**"_Why not?" He asked. "It's cute."_**

**_She looked up at him. "Zoe is Elmo's best friend on Sesame Street . I refuse to name my daughter after a Muppet. We also need to pick a boy's name, too. We don't know that this baby is a girl."_**

**_Derek leaned over and kissed her stomach. "It is a girl and I'll go get the baby name book." He moved her legs and went upstairs. Meredith got off the couch and went into the office for a tablet and pen. Both got back to the couch at the same time. _**

**"_What about Jenna?" he asked._**

**_Meredith thought for a moment. "What does the name mean?" she asked._**

**_Derek flipped through the book to find the name. "Small bird," he read._**

**"_Bird?" Meredith repeated. She shook her head no. "Julie," she offered._**

**_Derek flipped through the book. "Soft haired and youthful," he read._**

**_Meredith shrugged and wrote the name down on the paper. "Your turn," she said._**

**"_Stephanie," he said, flipping through the pages. "Crown."_**

**"_Crown? Like the thing royal people wear on their heads?" she asked. Derek nodded. _**

**"_Lily," Meredith said. _**

**"_Blossoming flower," Derek read. "Nah."_**

**"_Amber," Meredith said. _**

**_Derek looked up from the book. "Mark and I watched a porno one time in high school and the title was 'Getting Down with Amber'." Derek looked at her amused expression. "We found it in the trash can at the gas station."_**

**_Meredith giggled. "You and Mark watched porn together?" She laughed hysterically until she gasped for breath. _**

**"_Once, then mom found it under my mattress when she was changing sheets and we both got busted." He shook his head as Meredith continued to laugh. "So, no, we're not naming our daughter Amber." Derek flipped through the book, waiting for Meredith to stop laughing. His eyes scanned the list of names and read one that he fell in love with. "Mer, what about Hannah?"_**

**_Meredith stopped laughing and wiped her eyes. "Hannah Shepherd?" she asked. _**

**_Derek nodded. "It means gift from God," he read._**

**_Meredith thought for a moment as she tossed the name around in her head. "I like it," she agreed._**

**"_Our daughter has her name," Derek smiled. He leaned in close to Meredith's stomach. "Hi, Hannah. Daddy can't wait to meet you."_**

"Who is our next victim?" Meredith asked Dr. Bailey as they walked down the hall to the patient's room.

Dr. Bailey snorted. "We didn't kill anyone, Grey, so we have no victims."

"Yeah, only because we were able to get Mr. Jackson's blood sugars back to normal quickly after the injection failed. He came in diabetic and left diabetic. Oh, and let's not forget Mrs. Taylor, who decided at the last minute that she didn't want the surgery." Meredith sighed. "Next victim?"

Dr. Bailey flipped open the chart. "Edward Brownson, eighty-eight, diabetic for the past forty years. No other health concerns. Blood sugar was in the two hundred range upon admittance," she read.

"Eighty-eight?" Meredith frowned. "How'd he get into the trial?"

"Don't know, unless the age is a typo." Dr. Bailey flipped the page. "Nope, eighty eight. Born in twenty-one."

"I guess we'll find out," Meredith muttered, walking through the door of Mr. Brownson's room with Dr. Bailey right behind her. "Good morning, Mr. Brownson. I'm Dr. Grey and this is Dr. Bailey. I'd just like to go over some of your information if you don't mind?" Meredith reached for the chart that Dr. Bailey handed her. Meredith noticed that Edward Brownson indeed looked like an eighty eight year old man. He had a sprinkle of white hair, several age spots on his exposed skin, and his face was covered in wrinkles. Meredith thought he was absolutely adorable. She noticed that he was very pleasant when he smiled and nodded at her question. Meredith smiled back. "Mr. Brownson, I take it that you've read the literature on this clinical trial?" Mr. Brownson nodded. Meredith continued, "so, you're aware that your age plays a significant factor on the success?" Mr. Brownson nodded again.

"Mr. Brownson," Dr. Bailey said. "What Dr. Grey is trying to say is that we typically don't accept people into clinical trials who are over the age of sixty. Especially a clinical trial as complex as this one."

"I assure you, Dr. Grey and Dr. Bailey, that I've read the literature on this clinical trial and how my mortality rate is increased because of my age. But, I must tell you the reason why I decided to participate." He paused to gather himself together. He reached for his wallet on the stand beside his bed. He pulled out a photo and handed it to Meredith. "I lost my Betty ten years ago to a stroke. Since then, a part of me has died. I miss her more and more everyday and the stress of it is taking a toll on my health. I've been diabetic for forty years and Betty had always controlled my diet for me. Since she passed, I haven't been able to do it on my own. I feel that this clinical trial is a sign from my Betty. She's pretty much telling me to shit or get off the pot, pardon my French."

Meredith smiled as she looked at the picture of Betty. She was a beautiful woman, with big brown eyes and long grayish brown hair. She could see them as a couple. "Mr. Brownson," she said, handing the photo to Dr. Bailey.

"Dr. Grey, if you don't mind me asking, are you married?" Mr. Brownson asked.

Meredith nodded, "I am."

"Imagine living without your husband, Dr. Grey. That sickening feeling that you have in your stomach right now thinking about the idea of it? I have that feeling everyday."

Meredith did feel the sickening feeling at the thought of losing Derek or having to live a life without him. She looked at Dr. Bailey for a moment, who was staring intently at the photo of Betty. Meredith watched as she pursed her lips together, deep in though. Finally, Dr. Bailey looked up and handed the photo back to Mr. Brownson. "Dr. Grey and I will finish going over the procedure with you and then one of the nurses will be in to prep you for surgery."

**"_What did you buy at Babies R Us for one hundred and twenty dollars, Mer?" Derek said as Meredith walked into the kitchen. He looked up at her curiously from balancing the checkbook. _**

**"_Ummm, oh, I bought four packs of diapers, wipes, baby wash, and that soothing swaddle bouncer that we wanted to get that we saw on the television," she replied, waddling to the refrigerator for a snack. She opened the refrigerator door and glanced at him. "What's the look for?" she asked._**

**"_You bought baby stuff without me?" he asked with a hint of hurt in his voice. "How could you go without me? You know that I want to do everything babyish with you."_**

**_Meredith rolled her eyes. "Derek, you were called into emergency surgery and I had to get down there before they were sold out. Saturday was the last day that they were marked down to ninety dollars. And, it's not like time is on our side anymore." She motioned to her large stomach. _**

**"_Still," he muttered. "I wanted to be there. Where is it?"_**

**_Meredith smiled at him. "It's in the Jeep waiting for you to put it together," she said. She turned and opened the refrigerator door and grabbed some grapes. She plunked down on the bar stool and popped one in her mouth._**

**_Derek got up from his chair and walked over to her. "You know I want to be involved in everything with our kids, even if it means picking out bouncers. Next time, let me know?"_**

**_Meredith frowned at him. "Next time? There will be no next time. After this baby, I'm done." She shoved another grape in her mouth._**

**"_Mmmhmm," Derek nodded. "We'll see about that. A few months of swooning you, you'll be puddy in my hands." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. He hummed in her ear as he relished her scent. _**

**"_You're delirious," she commented. "Either that or you really are a stupid brain man." _**

**"_You still love me, though," he said, kissing her on the lips. He opened his mouth when she offered him a grape. "What color bouncer did you get?" he asked as he chewed. He smiled when he saw the smile form on her face._**

**"_Pink, of course," she replied._**

Derek walked into the kitchen. "Now what do you need me to do?" he asked Meredith, who was putting the finishing touches on Cole's birthday cake decorations. For the past two hours, Meredith had given him orders on what he could do to help her get ready for the party.

"Did you get everything done?" she asked, pushing the cake as far back on the counter as she could, so the boys couldn't trace their fingers in the icing.

"I put all of my fishing magazines in my office, swept the deck, bathed the kids, and ran the vacuum," he rattled off the list of things that he completed that she asked him to do. "I am a good husband," he smirked.

"Did you clean the toilet?" she asked.

"Meredith," Derek groaned. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm not kidding. We need to clean it everyday now that Noah figured out that it's so much more fun standing to pee. Which reminds me, Derek, you need to show him how to aim correctly."

Derek nodded. "I will even train him to put the seat down when he's finished, but please don't make me clean the toilet." He gave her a pathetic look.

Meredith giggled. "Fine, big baby, instead you can go upstairs and bring down Cole's gifts. They are in the closet in our bedroom." She pushed him out of the kitchen towards the stairs. "I will clean the toilet."

Derek walked up the steps and down the hall to their bedroom. He opened the door to the closet and turned the light on and the sight made his jaw drop. The gifts that he and Meredith had wrapped the night before for Cole's party were all ripped open and wrapping paper was thrown everywhere. He frowned as he realized exactly who did it and went to his room to find him.

"Tater," Derek greeted him as he walked into Noah's bedroom. Noah was sitting on his bed, looking at a book. He had a disgruntled look across his face. Derek quietly sat down beside him on the bed. "What are you reading?" Derek asked.

"A book," Noah snapped.

Derek paused for a moment and then cleared his throat. "Mommy and I wrapped Cole's birthday gifts last night," he stated. Noah didn't comment, so Derek continued. "And when I just went to get them and take them downstairs, I found that someone had unwrapped every one of them." Noah looked up at his father for a moment and then quickly looked back down at his book. Derek continued. "Now, I know that it wasn't your sister because she's not mobile and your brother is currently taking his nap, so who do you think it could have been?"

"Don't know," Noah said. "Maybe mommy. She likes Lincoln Logs."

" Lincoln Logs?" Derek asked. "How'd you know that one of Cole's presents was Lincoln Logs?" He raised his eyebrows at Noah, who continued to stare at his book. Busted. "Buddy, why did you open all of Cole's gifts?" he asked gently.

Noah threw the book aside. "I am mad, Daddy. Cole taked cupcakes to daycare and everybody was nice to him. He gotted a special hat and they singed to him and Madison sat aside him at snack time." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "Cole's birthday is stupid!"

Derek gave him a sympathetic look. "Okay, so tell me, what fun things happened on your birthday?"

Noah thought for a moment. "I had my party and my friends came," he said.

Derek nodded. "Right, and who got all the attention?"

"Me," Noah answered. "It was a fun day!"

"It was," Derek agreed. "Did you and Mommy bake cupcakes and take them to daycare to pass out to your friends?" Derek asked. Noah nodded. "Did you wear a special hat and was everyone nice to you?" Noah nodded again. "Did you get to open your presents at your party?"

"Yes," Noah said quietly.

"Then how do you think it would make you feel if someone opened all of your presents before you had a chance to?" Derek asked.

"I would feel sad and kinda mad," Noah answered.

Derek nodded. "That's right, so, here's what's going to happen. You are going to help me wrap Cole's gifts again so that he has them to open at his party. We don't want him to feel sad and kinda mad that you opened them, right?" He stood up and reached his hand out to Noah.

Noah got up and reached for his father's hand. "Right, 'cause I not want him bein mad at me. I sawed his new race track and I wanna play with it later."

Derek chuckled. "I know. It's cool, isn't it? Daddy picked it out."

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Hey, kids are all sound asleep. Shower with me?" Derek asked as he walked into the bedroom and headed for the bathroom. He stopped to give her their look.

Meredith was sprawled out on the bed, her exhaustion catching up with her from the eventful day. Cole's party had been a success and he enjoyed every one of his gifts. Derek had put his race track together and he, Cole and Noah spent the majority of the evening playing with it. Meredith sat up quickly when her phone rang. "Yeah, let me answer this call and I'll join you in a minute." Derek wiggled his eyebrows at her and walked into the bathroom.

Meredith frowned when she saw it was the hospital. "This is Dr. Grey," she answered.

"Grey," Dr. Bailey's voice came through the phone. "Did I wake you?"

"No, Dr. Bailey, what's wrong? Is everything okay with Mr. Brownson?" Meredith asked.

Dr. Bailey sighed into the phone. "Meredith," she started. Meredith swallowed hard at the sudden lump in her throat. Dr. Bailey rarely called her by her first name. "Mr. Brownson coded this evening after becoming severely hyperglycemic. His sugar level was at four hundred ten. He went into a diabetic coma, causing his kidney's to fail and he went into cardiac arrest. We couldn't save him."

"Damn it" Meredith hissed. "What the hell happened?"

Dr. Bailey sighed again. "His age, Meredith. If he were twenty years younger this wouldn't have happened. His kidneys would not have failed so quickly and his heart wouldn't have stopped. I'll finish the paperwork this evening before I leave. How was Cole's party?"

"Good," Meredith said flatly. "He had a blast."

"Meredith, we'll get it. We will get it," Dr. Bailey said.

"I hope so," Meredith sighed and then she smiled into the phone. "He's with his Betty now."

"That he is," Dr. Bailey said. "Get some sleep, Grey."

Meredith snapped the phone shut and leaned back against the pillows. Her mind went to the conversation yesterday that she had had with Mr. Brownson and how he had asked her to imagine her life without her husband. She felt tears forming in her eyes at the though of not waking up to Derek every morning, celebrating holidays and birthdays together, making love to him and lying in his arms afterward while talking into the early morning hours. She felt strangely at peace knowing that Mr. Brownson was united with his Betty again.

She sighed and got up off the bed. She went into the bathroom and stripped her clothes. Derek turned around and smiled at her when he heard her enter the shower. "What took you so long?" he asked her, but was quickly interrupted by Meredith's lips crashing against his in a deep and passionate kiss. Her tongue entered his mouth and massaged his. He finally pulled away and looked into her eyes. "What was that about?" he breathed.

Meredith pressed her forehead against his and inhaled a shaky breath. "I love you, Derek. More than you'll ever know. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I can't live without you. I don't want to ever try to live without you. I just wanted you to know that."

Derek smiled and traced his thumb along her cheek. "Thanks for letting me know."

Meredith nuzzled her nose with his. "Anytime," she whispered.

**Thanks for reading! How about more than 10 comments this time??? Please??**


	25. Dog Days

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.**

**Thank y'all for the lovely comments. I will be finishing this story up soon and I am grateful to everyone who has shown an interest in it. I want to thank my friends Julie and Steph for their help and input. Love ya both!**

**Oh, by the way, there's a little bit of MerDer hotness in this chapter…withdrawal is a bitch!**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Dog Days**

Meredith wiped the mirror with a towel in order to see her reflection after getting her shower. She sighed at her appearance. Dark circles were evident under her eyes and she looked as though she hadn't slept in weeks. She and Dr. Bailey had been putting long hours into their clinical trial. Unfortunately, they had not been successful with the injection and every participant in their clinical trial had left the hospital after being re-introduced to their diabetic medication. Meredith was beginning to get discouraged.

"Hey," Derek said softly as he came into the bathroom. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He propped his chin on her shoulder and looked at her through the mirror. "Did you get any sleep?" He rubbed the palm of his hand in circles on her stomach.

"Not really," she mumbled. "I wanted to get up to spend time with the kids because I have to go back in this evening. A new patient is being admitted."

"You don't seem excited about it," Derek observed. "What's wrong?"

Meredith exhaled and glanced at him through the mirror. "I'm becoming slightly discouraged," she confessed.

"You shouldn't," Derek said. "Don't get discouraged. You'll get it, Mer. It just takes time."

"Derek," she closed her eyes briefly, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. "The look on our patient's faces when they leave," she shook her head. "I feel like a failure."

Derek turned her body to face his. "Meredith, you are not a failure in any way. You are an amazing surgeon and an amazing wife and mother. You are so close to getting this. So close. Just…don't get discouraged. Not when you've come this far. Promise me you won't."

Meredith looked into his loving, deep blue eyes. "I'll try to be optimistic, but I can't promise you, Derek." Her bottom lip began to quiver and she felt tears spilling down her cheeks. Derek gently wiped them away and smiled at her. "I think I know something that will make you feel better," he said.

Meredith sniffed and wiped her eyes. "What's that?"

"A picnic down by the lake," he smiled. He saw the uncertainty in her face. "Come on, it'll be fun."

* * *

Meredith leaned back on her elbows and watched Hannah try to crawl across the blanket that was spread out on the ground. After their picnic lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grapes and goldfish crackers, Derek decided to take the boys fishing. Meredith smiled as she watched Derek help Cole cast his line while Noah was fishing a little farther down by himself. Derek bent over to tie Cole's shoe, giving her a perfect view of his ass.

"Whoa, Daddy," she called from her spot. "I'd like a piece of that." She growled at him.

Derek turned slowly to look at her through his sunglasses and gave her a smirk. "It's all yours baby, whenever you want it. Just say the word." Meredith giggled at their flirtatious remarks to one another, but quickly stopped when she saw that Hannah had made her way to the edge of the blanket and currently had a fistful of grass.

Meredith moved and scooped her up, prying the grass from her fingers. "No grass for you, Hannie poo," she rhymed. Meredith turned her around to look at her face and Hannah decided to stand in her lap. "Look at you, big girl. Where's Daddy?" Meredith smiled as she saw Hannah's eyes shift from her face and over to where Derek was standing. "Where's Noah?" she asked. Hannah turned her head in the opposite direction and looked at Noah. "Where's Cole?" Hannah's head turned back to Cole. Meredith shook her head in amazement. "Our daughter is brilliant," she called to Derek.

"That's because she's my daughter," he replied, not turning around.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that's the reason," she whispered to Hannah, who giggled at her. Hannah studied her mother's face for a moment and then suddenly shrieked happily when she spied something over her mother's shoulder. She bounced up and down in Meredith's lap and pointed. "What do you see back there?" Meredith turned around and gasped when she saw a huge, ferocious animal that looked like a wolf.

"Derek!" Meredith hissed, trying not to scare the baby. Derek didn't hear her. "Derek!" she said louder, slowly inching to the opposite side of the blanket, the furthest away from the animal.

"Hmm?" Derek asked, his back facing her. The animal moved cautiously towards Meredith, who instinctly let out a blood curdling scream. Derek whipped his head around and dropped his fishing rod. The animal scurried a few yards away and turned around to look at the crazy, screaming woman.

"Meredith?" Derek asked calmly. "Why are you screaming?"

"It's a freaking wolf, Derek!" she yelled, hugging Hannah tighter.

Hannah looked at her father with a puzzled expression. Derek chuckled. Both boys turned around and noticed their intruder. "It's a dog!" Noah shouted. Both put down their rods and were walking towards the animal.

"Noah, Cole, get back here!" Meredith hissed. Noah and Cole turned around and reluctantly came back to their parents. "Wolves are dangerous!"

"Meredith, it's not a wolf," Derek said.

"What the hell is it, then? It sure looks like one. It's got pointy ears like a wolf and fur, and...teeth!"

"Honey, I think it's a husky." Derek explained. "Boys, stay beside Mommy a minute until I make sure the dog is friendly," Derek took a few steps and got down on one knee. He whistled for the dog, which cautiously wagged his tail and inched towards Derek.

"Derek, it could have rabies," Meredith warned, pulling both boys next to her as the animal got closer. "It could attack all of us and we'll all D-I-E from rabies."

"The dog doesn't have rabies, Mer," Derek said softly, still motioning for the dog to come closer.

"How do you know?" she asked. The dog inched up to Derek and sat, allowing him to pet his fur. The dog placed his paw in Derek's hand when Derek reached up to his collar. "Because the tag on his collar says he doesn't," Derek said. "And he's not foaming at the mouth or appears to be disoriented. He's just a puppy. He's someone's pet."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure," Derek said. "Boys, come and pet him, but be gentle, please." Cole and Noah walked slowly towards their father and sat down on either side of him. Both began to giggle as the dog licked their faces.

"Daddy, this is a nice puppy," Noah giggled. "He licked my face."

Meredith inched closer and handed Hannah to Derek when he reached for her. The dog licked her face and she giggled.

"Does his tag say who he belongs to?" Meredith asked.

Derek shook his head. "I'll call Mark to help me take him to the animal shelter."

"Daddy, can we keep him?" Noah asked.

Derek looked at Meredith for a moment. She raised her eyebrows at him. "His family probably misses him, Bud. We'll get him back to his family."

"If we can't find his family, can we keep him? He really likes us," Noah giggled again as the dog licked his face.

"Let's just see if we can find his family," Derek repeated, pulling out his cell phone to call Mark.

**"_Derek, what is this?" Meredith held up an individually wrapped slice of cheese. _**

**_Derek looked up from the television. "It's cheese," he answered._**

**_Meredith nodded. "Right, and what color is it?"_**

**_Derek raised his eyebrows. "Well, the package says yellow, but it looks more orange to me. Why?"_**

**"_Why is there orange-yellow cheese in the fridge?" she asked._**

**_Derek thought for a moment. He hoped this wasn't a trick question. "Because you had it on the grocery list," he answered._**

**"_Wrong, Derek!" she yelled. "Wrong!"_**

**"_You didn't have cheese on the list?" he asked. "Because I'm sure that I remembered reading it on there." His eyes studied her face for her reaction._**

**"_There was no yellow American cheese on the list, Derek. There was white American cheese," she snapped. _**

**"_Oh," he shrugged. "It's the same thing, though."_**

**_Meredith's flung the cheese at him and her hands went to her hips. "It is so not the same, Derek. It's not the same at all!"_**

**"_What's the big deal?" he asked. Stupid. "Eat the yellow. It's still American. Why are you freaking out?" Derek, shut up!_**

**"_Freaking out?!" she exclaimed. "I am not freaking out. I hate the taste of the yellow American cheese and the white American miraculously gets rid of my heartburn. You know what," Meredith held her hand up. "Never mind. I will go to the store and I will get myself some white American cheese because apparently my husband is too incompetent to do it for me." She turned on her heel and went into the kitchen. _**

**_Derek could hear her rummaging through her purse for her car keys. He got off the couch and followed her. "Mer," he said. "You stay, I'll get your cheese for you."_**

**"_Leave me alone, Derek," she muttered. "You just don't get it. Instead of arguing about it, I'll just do it myself. From now on, I will do everything myself."_**

**"_Mer, don't be that way, please. I will go and get the cheese for you. Just go in the living room and relax. I'll be back before you know it."_**

**_Meredith stared at him with an infuriating expression. "Did you not hear a word I just said? If you were the last person on this earth, I would not ask you to get me cheese."_**

**"_Meredith," he tried again. "I don't eat cheese, so how was I to know that white and yellow American cheese had different tastes to them? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Meredith shrugged. Derek moved closer to her and she turned her head and focused on the microwave. "Look at me," he said softly._**

**"_No," she argued. "You're giving me the look."_**

**_He smiled. "What look?"_**

**"_Our look. It doesn't work on me anymore. I'm immune to it." She could feel a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. _**

**"_Daddy, I want cheese, pleeeeeease?" Noah asked as he walked into the kitchen. _**

**_Derek's eyes never left Meredith's face. "It's in the fridge," he said. Meredith's face was still turned towards the microwave. He traced his thumb along her cheek. _**

**_Derek could hear Noah rummaging around in the refrigerator. "Where?" Noah finally asked. _**

**"_On the door," Derek said, pulling at Meredith's chin for her to look at him. He quickly planted his lips on hers before she could move. "I love you," he whispered. _**

**_Meredith smiled. "I love you, too," she said softly_**

**"_It not there," Noah said, slamming the refrigerator door shut. _**

**_Derek turned to look at him. "On the door, Noah."_**

**_Noah put his hands on his hips. "I not like lellow cheese, Daddy. I like white. It yummier."_**

**_Meredith giggled. Derek rolled his eyes and kissed her again softly. He grabbed the car keys from her hand. "Be right back with white cheese."_**

"So, this dog, which I still think is a wolf, just shows up out of nowhere," Meredith said to Cristina as they walked onto the elevator. "So, of course, Derek takes it back with us to the house and the minute it gets in the house, it jumps on my sofa. Do you think that Derek told it to get down? Hell, no!" She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed deeply. Cristina smirked. "Then, Mark and Lexie come over and when I left for work, they all were tossing a ball around to each other, laughing like idiots while the dog jumped in the air, trying to catch it."

"What kind of dog is it?" Cristina asked.

"I don't know. Derek told me, but I can't remember. I'm sure it has fleas." Meredith leaned against the elevator wall and closed her eyes.

"You like dogs, Mer," Cristina pointed out.

"Liked," Meredith corrected her. "No dog will ever compare to Doc."

"You mean the dog that chewed up shoes, peed on Izzie's bed and tried to mount George from behind?" Cristina snorted as the elevator doors opened and they got out.

Meredith spotted Dr. Bailey waiting for her at the nurse's station. "He was a good dog," she argued. "He was just misunderstood. Meet me for coffee later?" Cristina nodded and walked the opposite way.

"Afternoon, Grey," Dr. Bailey greeted her. "Are you ready to try this again?"

Meredith nodded. "I made some adjustments to the cocktail, so hopefully the changes will make the difference."

"We will see," Dr. Bailey said, handing Meredith the patient's chart. Meredith scanned the patient's information. "Dr. Bailey, Tara Drexel is eighteen years old."

"That is correct," Dr. Bailey answered.

"She's too young," Meredith protested.

"In your eyes, yes. But in the law's eyes, she's considered an adult. It is our job to make sure that she understands the literature about the trial and it is up to her to decide if she wants to go through with it."

"But…" Meredith protested.

"But, what? Tara's eighteen. She's an adult. Now, get in there and explain the trial to her and answer any questions that she may have," Dr. Bailey demanded.

Meredith sighed and walked into the patient's room. "Hello, Tara , I'm Dr. Grey. You've met Dr. Bailey?" Meredith noticed a young man sitting beside her on the bed, holding her hand.

Tara nodded. "Yes, and this is my fiancée, Robert."

Meredith smiled and nodded at him. " Tara …" she started.

"Before you tell me all the reasons why I shouldn't be doing this, let me tell you why I think I should. Dr. Grey, I am a brittle diabetic, diagnosed when I was three. I've spent the last fifteen years in and out of hospitals because I was not able to control my glucose levels. I have been on antidepressants for years because just living with this awful disease depresses the hell out of me. I was convinced that I would never be happy in my life; that is until I met Robert." Tara reached for Robert's hand. "Robert has made me believe that dreams can come true. He has been my knight and shining armor, Dr. Grey. I want to marry him, I want to have kids with him, I want to die when I'm one hundred and ten years old in his arms." The couple looked into each other's eyes for a moment until Tara tore her eyes away to look at Meredith. "That's why I want to participate in this clinical trial, Dr. Grey, because I want all of that. If I don't do this, the not knowing if it would have worked would weigh on my mind day and night. If it is unsuccessful, at least I can say that I tried. I owe it to Robert to try."

Robert kissed her hand. "You owe it to yourself, too, honey."

Tara smiled at him and looked at Dr. Bailey, "What time am I scheduled for surgery?"

"Three o'clock," Dr. Bailey replied.

Tara looked at Meredith. "Please, Dr. Grey, give me a chance to marry Robert, have kids with him and die in his arms when I'm one hundred and ten. Please?"

Meredith closed her eyes for a moment. Tara deserved the chance to do all of those things with Robert, all of the same things that Derek said that he wanted with her. She owed it to Tara to try. She cleared her throat. "Dr. Bailey, I'll get one of the interns to prep Miss Drexel for her surgery at three."

**_Derek checked on the boys, who were in bed for the night, one more time before he headed back downstairs to help Meredith clean up the dinner dishes. Meredith was standing at the sink with her back turned towards him, her head down. Her shoulders were heaving up and down as she sobbed. Derek walked up behind her and put his arms around her. "Mer, what's wrong?" He asked her softly. She didn't answer him and continued to cry. He turned her body to face him. "What's wrong?" he asked again._**

**_  
Meredith sniffed a few times and wiped her eyes. "My stomach is so big that I can't reach the sink," she wailed. "This baby was due to come out last week, Derek. I am huge and miserable and I don't understand why this baby just won't come already!" _**

**_  
Derek smiled at her sympathetically. "We will have this baby soon enough, Mer. You rest and I will take care of the dishes." He helped her move to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair for her. He lifted her chin and bent down to kiss her softly. "For the record, you are beautiful," he murmured. She gave him a forced smile and he kissed her again quickly before walking back to the sink. _**

**_  
" I just wish that this baby would come. My entire body aches," Meredith said. "I don't remember being this miserable with Noah or Cole."'_**

**_  
Derek turned to look at her. "Girl," he simply said. _**

**_  
Meredith smiled at him and remained quiet. Derek finished loading the dishwasher and walked over to her. "Should I remind you of how you went into labor with Cole?" Meredith looked up at him and giggled. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Wouldn't hurt to try," he suggested._**

**_  
Meredith stood up. "I'll try anything at this point," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. _**

**_  
He pulled back to look at her. "Don't sound so excited," he said. _**

**_  
"Shut up and fuck me," she snapped, pulling his face to hers and kissing him hard. _**

**_  
"Bossy," he muttered, smiling against her lips. He helped her out of her pants and panties and moved them back to rest against the kitchen table. He lifted her up and placed her at the edge. Meredith stared at him as he unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to his ankles. He removed them completely and then looked at her for a moment, accessing the situation. He realized that her stomach would make it very difficult for him to enter her in this position. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her, his erection poking at her core. "Mer, lean back as far as you can." She gave him an skeptical look. "I'll hold you up, I just need you to lean back so," he rubbed her stomach affectionately, "we can do this."_**

**_  
Meredith rolled her eyes and leaned back as far as she could go and wrapped her legs around Derek's waist. "Better?" She asked, propping herself up with her hands behind her._**

**_  
"Much," he breathed. "Ready?" he asked._**

**_  
"God, yes," she said, already beginning to pant._**

**_  
Derek rubbed two fingers along her slick wet folds to be sure, not resisting the urge to dip them into her tight channel and when he felt that she was, he removed them and swiftly entered her. Both moaned at the feeling as Derek began to move in and out of her very slowly. "How does that feel?" he murmured._**

**_"Amazing," she moaned, clasping her legs tighter around him. "But I need it faster. Harder, Derek. Please." She begged. Derek complied with her request, using more force as he pumped into her rapidly, his hips pistoning into her. Meredith could feel the table moving underneath them with each of Derek's thrusts. "Oh, God, Derek. That feels so good," she moaned. Her groaning grew louder as she felt his hand move between them and his thumb beginning to rub her clit. _**

**_  
They were positioned in a way that Derek could not reach her lips to kiss her, but was able to capture one of her nipples in his mouth. He sucked and nipped at it eagerly as he continued pumping into her at a furious pace . He rubbed her clit more frantically as he felt her body respond to him. Derek could feel Meredith's walls clenching as she began to climax, strangling him._**

**_  
Meredith could hear the table creaking and groaning as Derek continued moving, but she was too caught up in her impending orgasm to care. She cried out his name in ecstasy as her orgasm washed over her. _**

**_  
Derek could feel his orgasm beginning to build as he pumped into her a few more times and emptied himself inside of her. He had about a moment until the legs of the table gave out. He quickly picked Meredith up just as the table clattered to the floor. They both studied the wreckage as they tried to regulate their breathing._**

**_  
"Looks like we'll need a new table," Derek commented, moving to sit on the nearest chair with Meredith in his lap._**

**_  
"Thanks to my fat ass!" Meredith exclaimed, burying her face in his shoulder and beginning to cry again._**

It was eight o'clock in the evening when Meredith pulled up the driveway. Tara's surgery had gone well and she was stable. She and Dr. Bailey had started her on the sugar injection right after she stabilized. Meredith would know more about whether or not the procedure was successful tomorrow when she went in and checked Tara's glucose levels. She smiled tiredly when she noticed the lights on in the house. She pulled her Jeep into the garage, shut off the engine and got out. Before she made it to the door, it swung open and Derek came out.

"Just in time for dinner," he said, pulling her into his embrace. "How did the surgery go?" He kissed her lips quickly.

Meredith closed her tired eyes and buried her face into his chest. "Operation went well. She's stable, but we won't know anything really until tomorrow." She moaned deeply into his chest as she felt his hands move up and down her back. "How'd it go at the shelter?"

Derek patted her back and chuckled nervously. "Funny you should mention that," he said.

Meredith looked up at him. "What?" she asked.

"Well…here's the thing…and please don't get mad," he said.

"Oh, no," she groaned. "I hate it when you want to tell me something and the first thing you say is 'please don't get mad'. Just, tell me what you did." She closed her eyes, anticipating her husband's confession.

"Mark and I took the dog to the shelter, so I did what I was supposed to do," he smiled at her.

"Go on," she prodded.

"Well, we dropped him off, but when we took him in, the woman who was working at the shelter said that a couple dropped him off there a few weeks ago because their landlord found out that they got a dog. She said that he escaped yesterday when the delivery guy came. He slipped right out the door." He paused to get her reaction.

"Okay, so you gave him back…" she waited for him to finish the sentence.

Derek shook his head. "Not quite," he said. "But that was my intent."

"Where is the dog, Derek?" Meredith asked calmly.

Derek grimaced. "He's in the house, playing with the kids," he said quickly.

"He's what?!" she exclaimed. "You brought him back?"

"It was Mark's fault," Derek protested.

"Mark? Seriously? Then why isn't the dog at Mark and Lexie's?" She demanded.

"Because they still live in their apartment and we have all this land, so I offered to keep the dog until they bought their house," he flashed her a wide smile. "And he likes the kids and the kids like him."

"And?" she prompted.

"And…I like the dog, too. A lot. You will, too, Mer, once you spend time with him. Can he stay with us, please?" Meredith watched her husband plead with her like one of the kids.

She exhaled deeply. "Fine, he can stay with us until Lexie and Mark buy their house." Derek pulled her into a quick hug. "But, on one condition," she said.

Derek pulled back to look at her. "What's that?"

"He is not allowed on my sofa," she said.

Derek thought for a moment. "Hang on a minute," he said. He went to the door and opened it. "Noah! Cole! Get the dog off the couch!"

**Comments are greatly appreciated. Read it, then leave it!**


	26. Soulmates

**Disclaimer: Nooooo, it's not freaking mine…..**

**Thanks for all the wonderful comments!!**

**Chapter Twenty Five: Soulmates**

Meredith held up her mangled Rocket Dog flip flop at the hairy creature staring back at her, lying on the kitchen floor. "You are so dead," she warned, giving the dog her death glare. The dog began to lick himself in response. Meredith rolled her eyes. "Only Mark's dog," she muttered.

Meredith threw the shoe down and made a mental note to yell at Derek for it later. Since the dog arrived a week ago, the fur ball had managed to chew up two pairs of Meredith's shoes, a few of the kids' toys, and the leg off of the coffee table. All of Derek's things went untouched. Stupid freaking dog.

She walked into the office and stood with her hands on her hips. Derek was absorbed in the computer and didn't notice her presence. "Derek," she said.

"Hmm?" he replied, continuing to stare at the computer.

"That…dog," she said. "That shedding, chewing, barking freak that overtook our home chewed yet another pair of my shoes," she whined. "After taking the boys and spending a small fortune on toys and dog…stuff, you'd think that he'd want to chew those things." Meredith pushed his chair back and flopped into his lap. He grunted slightly. "When is Mark coming to get the devil in disguise?"

Derek sighed. "Mer.." he started.

"What did the boys name him anyway?" she interrupted.

"Uh, Dog." he said. "Mer…"

She giggled. "That's creative. It's easy to remember," she sighed and nuzzled her face in his neck.

"Meredith," Derek tried again. "About the dog."

"I hope Lexie is ready for a dog that sheds nonstop. The vacuum has really gotten a work out this week." She nudged his chin with her nose, making him look down at her. She sat up slightly and moved her hand to the back of his neck, pulling his face towards her. She kissed him deeply. "I've gotta get to work. I'll see you later?"

Derek smiled and nodded. "Meredith, before you go, we need to talk about the dog."

"Right," she said. "I wanted to remind you to make sure that the kids' toys are picked up. Dog, "she giggled, "has chewed up quite a few Lincoln Logs and plastic animals because the kids left them out. He barfed it all up last time, Derek, and I had to clean it up."

Derek nodded, "I'll make sure the toys are cleaned up," he said. He smiled at her. "Promise."

"Good, see you tonight," she kissed him again quickly and left the office.

Derek sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. Meredith would see Lexie today at the hospital today. He had a gnawing feeling that he'd be the one in the dog house tonight.

* * *

"Crap," Meredith muttered to herself. It had been a bad day so far. She had gotten stuck in the pit with the interns from hell. Even Noah and Cole followed better directions than those morons. She thought about pawning them off on Lexie, who was supposed to be working with her today, only she was no where to be found.

"Has anyone seen Dr. Grey?" Meredith asked a few nurses.

"Yes, Dr. Grey slipped out for a moment for a dermatology appointment," Nurse Tyler replied.

"Dermatology appointment?" Meredith asked. "For herself?"

Nurse Tyler nodded. "Yes, I recommended that she make the appointment because she looks like hell. Her face is covered in a rash and she's wheezing. Not good at all."

Meredith frowned. "Rash and wheezing? I wonder what she's allergic to?" She shrugged to herself as she continued skimming the patient's chart, not noticing as Lexie quietly walked up to her and stood.

"Meredith," Lexie said nervously. "We need to talk."

"Yes, we do," Meredith replied. "When is Mark coming to get that dog? He is destroying my home piece by piece."

"Meredith," Lexie paused. Meredith glanced up at her and her mouth dropped open. Tyler was right, Lexie did look like hell. Her face was all swollen and splotchy. "About the dog." Guilt washed over Lexie's face. Meredith closed her eyes, bracing herself for what Lexie was going to say. "First of all, I just wanted to say that you take care of Dog wonderfully. He is truly in a loving home. The kids love him, Derek loves him, and I know that deep down in your heart, you love him, too. No dog named Dog could ask for a better home." She stopped to giggle nervously. "Funny name, huh?"

Meredith's eyes snapped open. She knew where this was going. "Lexie," she said calmly. "If you value your life at all, just spit out what you need to say."

"I'm allergic to Dog, Meredith. Right after Mark and my visit with him on Saturday, I broke out in a rash and started wheezing. We both figured out what caused the reaction and the dermatologist confirmed today that I'm allergic to dogs."

Meredith sighed. "This is not happening to me," she muttered. "This is all a bad dream and I'll wake up in a minute." She glared at Lexie. "Tell me this is a bad dream!"

"It's not a dream, Meredith. Mark and I can't take Dog." Lexie stared at the tiles on the floor. "Mark told Derek yesterday and I told him that I would tell you when…"

"Wait!" Meredith interrupted. "Mark told Derek? Derek knew about this and he didn't tell me? Unbelievable!" Meredith slammed the patient's chart down on the counter. "Derek has known about this for an entire day and has not said a word to me." Meredith exhaled loudly.

Lexie gave her a sympathetic smile. "Look on the bright side, Mer. He already has all his shots, he's flea free, and he's great with your kids."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Enough about Derek, Lexie. What are we going to do about the dog?"

_**Meredith cried into her pillow as she laid in bed. Derek was at the hospital all night and after she put the boys to bed, she spend the evening watching the Lifetime Movie Network. That station should have a warning label or something about the movies aired on it. She watched two movies back to back that made her cry like a baby. She wiped her eyes quickly and sniffed a few times when she heard Derek pull into the garage. She laid quietly waiting for him to come upstairs. One of the movies really got to her. A single father was left to raise his daughter on his own after his wife died from cancer. She couldn't help thinking about Derek being in that position if something happened to her. It was all so devastating to think about. Meredith burst into tears again.**_

_**Derek quietly entered the room, hearing his wife's sobs. "Meredith?" he asked, quickly walking over and crawling in bed with her, wrapping his arms around her. "What's wrong?"**_

**"_Derek," she sobbed. "Promise me that if something happens to me, you will marry again."_**

_**Derek frowned, "What?"**_

_**Meredith continued to sob, her whole body shaking. "Promise me that you'll find my kids another mother if I die. Please?"**_

**"_Meredith, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked._**

**"_Because they won't remember me when they're this young, Derek. Make sure that she is like me. Make sure that she loves them as if they were her own. And if you decide to have more kids with her, although I may roll over in my grave at the thought of you having sex with anyone else, make sure she doesn't push our kids aside." Meredith rolled over to face him and buried her face into his chest. She started sobbing again. _**

_**Derek sighed. "Meredith, were you watching that Lifeline channel again?" he asked. He knew he should have blocked that channel after the last emotional outburst she had when she watched a movie about a woman who came into a home in the middle of the night and kidnapped a child. After watching that movie, she made him promise her that he would never, ever leave the kids out of his sight and demanded that a security system be installed in the house. **_

**"_Lifetime," she sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "The thought of not being with you breaks my heart."_**

**"_Meredith, please calm down," he said softly, wrapping his arms around her as well. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't allow it. You are stuck with me."_**

_**Meredith shook her head. "You don't know that, Derek. I could get cancer like the woman on the movie," she started crying again. **_

**"_What movie?" he asked. _**

**"_The movie that I watched tonight about a couple like you and me. They adopted a baby and the wife didn't know she had cancer. She died and the husband was left to raise the baby by himself." She wiped her nose on his shirt. "It happens all the time, Derek."_**

**"_Meredith," he sighed. "It was a movie."_**

**"_We need to talk about this," she said. "We need to make a plan."_**

**"_A plan for what?" He was getting frustrated. _**

**"_A plan in the event that something happens to one of us," Meredith said. She pulled away from his embrace and sat up. She turned the light switch on. _**

**"_Meredith," he warned. "I am not having this conversation with you." Derek could remember a time when he came very close to losing Meredith. A time that he didn't want to relive because of some made for television movie._**

**"_Why?" she asked._**

**"_Because it's ridiculous, that's why," he replied. "I don't want to talk about this with you. You are here and I am here. That's all that matters, Meredith. If something happens to you, which I don't even want to think about, I would never be the same. I would never remarry. I would raise our kids by myself because no one will ever amount to what you mean to me." _**

_**Meredith's lower lip trembled. "That's exactly what the husband said to the wife right before she died," she wailed. **_

_**Derek rolled his eyes. "You are not dying," he reminded her, getting up off the bed and heading for the bathroom. "I'm not dying. No one is dying. All very good reasons why we shouldn't be having this conversation." He paused to inspect his hair in the mirror. "You really need to stop watching those movies, Meredith. They stress you out. I don't want my pregnant wife stressed out. As a matter of fact, you should be happy. You have good looking kids and another on the way. You're also married to me," he joked. He turned to see her reaction to his last comment and shook his head when he saw that his emotionally exhausted wife had fallen asleep.**_

"How are Ms. Drexel's labs today?" Meredith asked one of the nurses.

"Her glucose level is slightly elevated, but she's tolerated the sucrose injections well," the nurse responded, giving Meredith a hopeful smile. "She's only needed 5 units of Lantus. That's half of what she normally would get."

Meredith nodded slowly. "Now, if she'd only wake up," she said softly. A week had passed since Tara Drexel's procedure and she remained in a coma since. In the past week, she had been administered three injections of sucrose and her pancreas tolerated it well. Her glucose levels did rise, but administering half of her typical insulin injection had stabilized her. That would be significant progress if Tara were awake.

Meredith looked up and noticed Robert, Tara's fiancee, walking towards her. "Dr. Grey," he started. "Can I speak with you a minute?" he swallowed hard. Meredith nodded and followed him back into Tara's room. "How does she look today?" he asked.

"Robert," Meredith said softly. "Tara's stats look great. Her lab work looks good and her kidney function remains…normal. The only thing we're waiting for is for her to wake up." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "We're close, Robert. Please try to remain optimistic."

Meredith watched as Robert's lower lip trembled and tears started to flow from his eyes. "I pushed her to do this," he whispered. "I did this."

"Robert, you did not do this. Tara wanted this just as much as you did, if not more. You can't blame yourself for this." She patted his shoulder as he sobbed into the palms of his hands. "How can I help you?" Meredith asked softly.

Robert sniffed several times and calmed down, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I need you to try the procedure again." He looked her dead in the eye.

"Wh-what?" Meredith choked. "You want me to do the procedure again?"

Robert nodded and chuckled. "Tara would always joke that we could communicate with each other without using words. She said that soul mates could do that. I would laugh and joke with her when she'd tell me that, but, Dr. Grey, " he paused. "I agreed with her completely and never told her that." Meredith nodded in understanding. "Dr. Grey, you may think that I've lost my marbles and maybe I have, but something is telling me that you need to do the procedure again. I believe that something…that someone is Tara."

"Robert," Meredith said. "I don't see how doing the procedure again will help Tara." She smiled sadly at him.

Robert shook his head. "You did it once, right? One time and her insulin dose was cut in half. Whose to say that doing it again would make it a complete success?"

"Medical research…" Meredith started.

"Medical research has nothing to do with love, Dr. Grey. I am Tara's medical proxy and I want you to do the procedure again," he closed his eyes briefly. "Tara wants you to do the procedure again."

Meredith looked at him for a moment. Dr. Bailey had taken vacation time and would be back next week. Meredith knew how to do the procedure solo. It was her baby. But, she needed at least an attending present in the operating room in order for her to perform it. Hospital policy. Meredith glanced at Robert, who was still staring at her. "Dr. Grey, please," Robert said again. "Think about it, please." His voice was pleading and desperate.

Meredith sighed. "I'll think about it, Robert. I can't promise anything, but I'll think about it."

**"_Meredith, why are we here? I thought you didn't like Mexican food," Derek grumbled as he opened the door to Rosita's Mexican Restaurant. "I thought for sure you'd want to go to La Jeune Chef since we haven't been there in so long." He placed his hand on the small of Meredith's back as she walked ahead of him into the restaurant. Izzie offered to baby sit for the evening, cheerfully reminding them that this could be their last chance to go out as a couple before the new baby came. _**

**"_La Jeune Chef does not have spicy food," Meredith replied, stopping to wait for the hostess to seat them. _**

**"_Why do you want spicy food?" Derek asked, wrapping his arm around her. _**

**"_Eating spicy foods can start labor," she said simply._**

_**Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "Who told you that?"**_

**"_Your mom," she replied, smiling at the hostess walking up to them._**

**"_How many?" the hostess asked. _**

**"_Two," Meredith replied._**

**"_Actually, two and a half," Derek joked, motioning to Meredith's stomach. Meredith rolled her eyes._**

_**The hostess giggled and motioned for them to follow her. "When is your baby due?"**_

**"_It was due two weeks ago," Meredith said. _**

_**The hostess' eyes widened. "Wow! I take it you're here to try and induce labor?"**_

_**Meredith giggled. "How'd you know?"**_

_**The hostess smiled as she placed the menus on their table. Derek pulled out Meredith's chair for her and moved to his seat. "We have lots of overdue pregnant women that come in and ask for the spiciest thing on the menu because they want to try to induce labor."**_

_**Meredith smiled. "Is that so? Well, then, what do you recommend off of the menu to help me out?"**_

**"_Our Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa is one of the spiciest things on the menu," the hostess said, pointing to the mentioned dish on the menu. "A very popular dish with the overdue pregnant women."_**

_**Meredith nodded, reading the description of the dish. "Sounds like it will work," she said. **_

**"_I hope it does," the hostess giggled. "Your waitress will be with you shortly. Good luck!" She left their table. _**

_**Derek reached over and grabbed her hand. "So, you've been talking to mom about how to put yourself into labor?" He grinned at her.**_

**"_I have," Meredith replied. "I told her I was desperate and she gave me a few tips."_**

**"_Really?" Derek asked. He loved that his mother and Meredith had developed such a good relationship. "Please fill me in."_**

**"_Well, eating lots of spicy foods is one. Your mom said that worked with Nancy . With Kathleen, I think she said it was the nipple stimulation."_**

**"_Nipple stimulation?" Derek winced. "You talked about nipples with my mom?"_**

**"_Yeah," Meredith nodded. "And with the rest, she said that she had lots of sex."_**

_**Derek squeezed his eyes shut. "Bad images in my head, Mer. Too much information."**_

_**Meredith laughed. "You asked," she shrugged.**_

**"_Do you really think that eating spicy foods will put you in labor? If anything, you'll get sick from all the gas." He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation._**

**"_I'll take my chances," she replied. _**

_**The waitress walked up to them. "My name is Brandy and I'll be your waitress for the evening. What can I get for you?"**_

_**Meredith pointed at the hostess' suggestion. "I'll have that," she said. "And a bowl of the spicy chili for an appetizer." **_

**_Derek groaned. He made a mental note to stop by Walgreen's on the way home to pick up antacids. He had a feeling that they were both going to need them when this was all over._**

"Thanks for making dinner," Meredith said. "My favorite dinner, to boot." She silently fumed knowing that her husband's actions this evening were done for a purpose.

"You're welcome," Derek smiled at her from across the table. He was surprised when she came home and didn't mention a word about Lexie or the dog. Maybe things were hectic at the hospital and Lexie didn't get a chance to talk to Meredith. "Busy day?" he asked.

Meredith held her gaze with him for a moment. "Nope," she said.

"Oh," Derek said. "Did anything exciting happen today?"

"Hmmm," Meredith answered. "Actually, yes, something exciting did happen today. Maybe not exciting per se, but interesting." Meredith told him about Tara's status and how as a result of the surgery her insulin dependency was half of what it used to be. "What's weird is her fiancée, Robert. He says that because they are soul mates , they can communicate with each other by not using words." She paused to see Derek's reaction. He nodded at her. "He says that she is telling him to tell me to do the procedure again."

Derek sat back in his chair and gave her a thoughtful look. "She's telling him this while she's in a coma?" he asked.

"I know, right?" Meredith nodded. "How messed up is that?"

Derek thought for a moment. "It's not messed up at all. I believe that they can communicate that way."

"Really?" Meredith asked, surprised.

"Mommy, Cole and I teached Dog a trick today," Noah said from his spot at the table.

Meredith looked at her boys. "Really? What trick did you teach him?"

"He play dead," Cole said. "Wanna see, Mommy?"

"After dinner," Meredith answered.. She looked at Derek again. "You believe that people can communicate with each other without using words?" _If that's the case, you'll know right now that I am mad because you did not tell me about Mark and Lexie not being able to take the dog. _

"Yes," Derek said. _I meant to tell you, Mer. You left the house before I could say anything this morning._

Meredith tilted her head to the side. "Do you think they can communicate that way because they are soul mates?" _Still, Derek. This is an important conversation that we needed to have. I shouldn't have had to hear it from Lexie today._

"I think that has a lot to do with it. They connect with each other physically and mentally. It's a great thing," he said. _I'm sorry, please forgive me. How can I make this up to you?_

"Hmm, well, I won't be able to do the surgery until next week because of Dr. Bailey being away." She paused. "Do you think that you and I connect on all levels?" _You want to make it up to me? Be the attending I need in the OR in order to do the surgery tomorrow, please?_

"I know we do. You and I are soul mates," he smiled at her. _Whenever you need me, let me know. I'll clear my schedule for you. I love you._

"Soul mates," she agreed, smiling back. _Thanks and I love you, too._

**_

* * *

_**

"Ready to see, Mommy?" Noah asked after dinner. He hopped up and down in front of her in excitement. "Dog is very, very smart."

"Okay," Meredith said, moving from the couch to the floor. "Show me the trick you taught him."

"Dog!" Noah yelled. "Come here, boy!" The dog trotted into the living room from the kitchen and sat in front of Noah. Cole moved beside Noah and giggled, turning to make sure that Meredith was paying attention. She smiled at him.

"Ready?" Noah said. Dog wagged his tail. "Bang! You're dead!"

Dog flopped to the floor and rolled onto his back with all four of his feet in the air. Both boys began giggling hysterically. Meredith raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"That was incredible. That is the best trick I've ever seen," Meredith smiled. "Did you two teach him that all by yourselves?'

Cole shook his head. "Daddy helpted us. Ours dog is very smart."

Meredith nodded. "Our dog is very smart," she agreed.

"Our dog?" Derek repeated, coming down the steps with a just bathed Hannah. He kissed the top of her head and handed her to Meredith. "You're calling him our dog?"

Meredith rolled her eyes. "Do I have a choice. The kids adore him and are teaching him tricks. And let's not talk about how hung up you are on him."

"So, he can stay?" Derek asked hopefully.

Meredith sighed. "He can stay," she said reluctantly. "But if he chews anything else besides his bones and chew toys, we're investing in a dog house."

Noah giggled, overhearing Meredith's comment. "Mommy! We don't need a dog house! You won't fit in it, silly!"

**_We're in the final few chapters with this fic. Prove to me how much you love it by commenting :)_**


	27. Trials and Tribulations

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy.**_

_**I can never say this enough. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read and comment on my story. It makes me feel great! **_

_**Chapter Twenty-Six: Trials and Tribulations**_

"It's Mommy's birthday," Derek informed Noah and Cole as he stood at the counter in the kitchen. Both boys were standing on chairs on either side of him, listening intently as he spoke. "So, we are going to give her breakfast in bed, like Daddy has done every year for her since we got married."

"What is married?" Noah asked.

Derek smiled. "Married is when two people want to spend the rest of their lives together so they make promises to each other and live together." He grabbed the toast from the toaster and smothered it with strawberry jelly, just how his wife liked it.

Noah thought for a moment. "Promise like how I promise Mommy that I will be good in the store?"

"And keep our rooms cwean?" Cole asked.

"That's right," Derek nodded. "You promise Mommy those things and you keep those promises to her, don't you?"

Noah and Cole nodded. Derek moved to grab a container of yogurt from the refrigerator.

"Daddy?" Noah asked. "What did you promise Mommy?"

Derek cleared his throat as he got a spoon out of the drawer. "I promised Mommy that I would love her forever, I wouldn't leave her alone when she needed me, and I would take care of her when we get old."

Noah nodded in understanding. "Daddy?" he asked. "Why did you marry my Mommy?"

"Because I love her," Derek said automatically as he poured coffee into a mug. "And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, so I asked her to be my wife."

"What a wife?" Cole asked.

"A married couple is called 'husband and wife'. The boy is the husband and a girl is the wife." Derek picked the tray up and the boys followed him up the steps.

"Wow," Cole said as he followed his father. "I be with Mommy my whole life. She be my wife, too?"

"Nope," Derek said. "Mommy is all mine."

"Will I be a husband?" Noah asked.

"If you get married, when you are a lot older," Derek answered.

"Like when I'm five?" Noah asked.

"No," Derek said. "More like twenty-five."

"Wow! That's old!" Noah exclaimed. Derek snorted at his statement. "Is Mommy old?" Noah asked.

"Hmmm, that depends. You think twenty five is old?" Derek asked. Noah nodded. "Then, I guess in your opinion, Mommy is old because she's older than twenty five."

As they got closer to the door, they could hear Meredith snoring.

"Did Mommy snore when you married her?" Noah asked.

Derek sighed. "She did."

Noah patted Derek's forearm. "That's 'cause she's old."

* * *

"What time did you tell Izzie we'd drop off the kids tonight?" Derek asked as they waited for the ferry.

"Eight. My last surgery is at three and it's only a cholecystectomy. What time are you done?" she asked.

Derek looked over at her and smiled. "I have one surgery today and it's at ten. I plan on hiding in my office most of the day to catch up on paperwork." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. "I'll probably be up for visitors, so stop by and see me." He lowered his voice. "Key word in that sentence being 'up'."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I swear you are like a teenager, Derek."

"Hey, I can't help it the way I react to you. It's your fault," he argued.

Meredith raised an eyebrow. "My fault?"

Derek nodded. "Yep. You're a hot mama."

Meredith giggled. "Sure, Derek. Hey, since you'll have time, could you stop by Tara Drexel's room for a consult?"

"Anything for you," he smiled. "I'll stop by this morning before my surgery." He reached over and grabbed her hand.

"Mommy, why are you old?" Noah asked from the backseat.

Meredith turned to look at him. "What?"

"Why are you old?" He asked again.

"Why do you think I'm old?" she asked, hearing a soft groan come from Derek.

"Daddy said," Cole answered.

Meredith glared at Derek. "Really?"

"I didn't say you were old, Mer. Noah asked me if you were and because he thinks that twenty five is old, I said that then in his opinion of old, you were," Derek said.

"So you did say I was old," she said.

"Only in Noah's mind," Derek protested.

"Whatever, Derek," Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Daddy will take care of you now," Noah said.

"What?" Meredith gave him a confused look.

Noah sighed impatiently. "Daddy said that when you guys got married and got to be husdun and wife, he promised to take care of you when you got old."

"Cause him luz you," Cole said.

"Oh," Meredith said, noticing that Derek was giving her a wide 'don't kill me' smile. "Isn't that nice of Daddy?"

"Yep, and when Daddy gets old, you can take care of him," Noah beamed at her

"Oh, don't worry, Noah. Mommy will definitely take care of Daddy," Meredith growled.

**"_So, after dealing with Meredith and her heartburn all night, I got about two hours sleep," Derek told Mark as they walked into the cafeteria. "I warned her last night not to eat all that spicy food, but she had it in her head that eating spicy foods would make her go into labor."_**

**_Mark laughed. "Apparently not."_**

**"_No, and she's been trying everything to put herself in labor. I caught her this morning before I left for work doing jumping jacks. And she wouldn't let me bring the kids to daycare today because she said that maybe running around after them all day will start something. I hope the baby arrives soon. I hate seeing her so uncomfortable."_**

**_Mark smirked at him. "Who are you kidding, man? You love seeing her barefoot and pregnant, needing you to do things for her and bowing down at her beck and call. I mean, it was pathetic before you two started reproducing. Now you have an excuse to kiss her ass all the time." _**

**"_You're a moron," Derek chuckled. "But mostly right."_**

**"_I'm always right," Mark responded. _**

**_Derek opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. "It's Meredith," he frowned, getting up to leave the noisy cafeteria so that he could hear. _**

**"_Mer?" he answered, leaning against the wall outside of the cafeteria. "Is everything okay?"_**

**"_Yeah," she whined. "What time will you be home?"_**

**"_I have a few patients to check on, but if you need me to come home now I can have Nelson do it. What's wrong?" he asked, feeling panic rise in his stomach._**

**"_I'm not feeling well. My stomach is still upset from all that spicy food I ate last night. And..." she paused._**

**"_And?"_**

**"_And I think I pulled a muscle in my back." _**

**"_What? Were you doing jumping jacks again?" Derek sighed._**

**"_No, no. Actually, I think I pulled it trying to get back up off of the floor after cleaning up a juice stain. Can you come home now?"_**

**"_I'm leaving in ten minutes. Who spilled juice?" he asked._**

**"_Noah," she giggled. "He blamed Cole and you first, though."_**

**"_He blamed me?" Derek chucked. _**

**"_Yeah," she sighed. "Derek?"_**

**"_What?" he asked._**

**"_I…I just really miss you and want you home with me," her voice cracked. _**

**_Derek smiled to himself. He loved when she told him she needed him. "I'll be home as soon as I can, Mer. Then I'm all yours."_**

Derek walked into Tara 's room that morning and smiled at Robert who was quietly looking through a magazine in the chair beside her bed. Robert looked up when Derek entered the room.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Shepherd," he smiled at him. "You must be Robert."

Robert nodded. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I don't think I've seen you before."

Derek nodded. "Dr. Grey asked me to come by and do a quick exam on Tara . I'll only be a few minutes." Derek moved beside her and began his examination. Robert watched him with interest.

"Is Dr. Grey your boss?" Robert asked.

Derek chuckled, remembering that he failed to introduce himself as the head of neurosurgery. For all Robert knew, he could have been one of Dr. Grey's residents. "Yes, Dr. Grey is my boss," he answered.

Robert noticed the writing on his lab coat. "You're a neurosurgeon?"

Derek nodded. "Head of neurosurgery, actually."

Robert looked shocked. "How is Dr. Grey your boss if you're the head of neurosurgery?"

Derek gave him a coy look. "Dr. Grey is my wife," he said proudly. Robert smiled and nodded in understanding. "She asked me to come by to examine Tara in regards to her brain function due to the fact that she has been in a coma for almost two weeks." Derek noticed the panic etched in Robert's face. "And from what I can tell from my examination, Tara's brain function is normal. Her pupils are reacting to light appropriately. Robert, there is a good possibility that she will wake up."

"Really?" Robert said, standing up.

"Really, I'll run some more thorough tests to be on the safe side. I'll have an intern schedule her for an MRI to rule out anything I missed. I have no reason to believe that she will remain this way," Derek said.

Robert walked around the bed and extended his hand forward to Derek. "That is great news, Dr. Shepherd! Thank you very much!"

Derek shook his hand. "You're welcome. I think Dr. Grey will be in shortly to go over Tara 's most recent lab results. It was nice meeting you."

Robert nodded. "Your wife…er…Dr. Grey. She really knows her stuff. I like her. I owe her for doing the procedure a second time," he chuckled. "You should have seen her face when I told her Tara and I communicate to each other without words. She looked at me like I had two heads!"

Derek nodded. "I get that look quite a bit, too." Derek grabbed his pager as it went off. "And speak of the devil, the wife is paging me. Take care." Derek turned around in the doorway. "Oh, Robert," he said.

"Dr. Shepherd?" Robert asked.

"It's amazing when you can communicate to your soul mate without using words," Derek said knowingly.

"It is," Robert nodded. "There's no better feeling. Who would have thought I'd meet my soul mate at the Emerald City bar?"

Derek shrugged. "Good place to hang out. I met a woman there once myself." Derek smiled and left the room.

**_Meredith sat across from Derek at the kitchen island. Derek looked up from reading the paper and met her gaze. Meredith's eyes trailed over to where their table once was and back to him. Derek cleared his throat. _**

**"_Aren't you the least bit humiliated that we broke the table last night?" she asked._**

**_Derek laughed. "No," he put the newspaper down. "Actually, I find it comical. I think that's the first piece of furniture that we ever broke having sex."_**

**_Meredith shook her head. "We broke the towel rack in the hall bathroom right after we moved in," she reminded him. "Mer, hold on to the towel rack so I can fuck you harder."_**

**_Derek's eyes glazed over at the memory that Meredith was referring to. "We had fun christening every room in the house," he said dreamily. _**

**"_Remember how my hair got tangled in the air vent in what is now Cole's room?"_**

**_Derek gave her a wide smile. "You're making me horny just thinking about it. Hey, is there any furniture in the house you don't like? We could try to break it by having sex on it."_**

**_Meredith rolled her eyes. "I like all our furniture, thank you. If you would have done your job right last night, we would have a baby right now instead of having this conversation," she snapped._**

**_Derek looked wounded. "I always do my job right," he retorted. "I mean with all the screaming and moaning that you do."_**

**_Meredith sighed. "That's not how I meant it, Derek. You always do the job right with pleasing me. I meant it in a 'put me in labor' sense."_**

**"_Well, I'm offering my services to you now. Just let me know where, when, and how you want it." He snapped, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. _**

**_She glared at him for a moment. "Fine, back patio, right now, and I want it hard!" she suddenly yelled. "I need new patio furniture. I saw the set I want at Home Depot. It's that all weather wicker. I freaking love all weather wicker!" She stood up as abruptly as a pregnant woman could. _**

**"_Fine!" he yelled back, standing up just as quickly. They stared angrily at each other for a moment before Meredith broke the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around him and crashed her lips against his. The kiss was furious and needy. Derek moved them towards the French doors and out onto the patio. _**

**_He pulled away breathlessly and looked at the target. He smirked at her. "This could take awhile. We have five chairs and a table to break." _**

**_Meredith pulled his arm to her face to look at his watch. "We have forty five minutes before the kids get up. Make it happen."_**

**"_Yes, dear," Derek nodded, swooping her up effortlessly in his arms and heading for the patio chair._**

"Could I have Tara Drexel's chart, please," Meredith asked Tyler . Tyler handed her the chart and Meredith looked over her results. Everything appeared normal, even down to her glucose levels. She checked the nurse's log. "It doesn't say how much insulin was administered." She looked up at Tyler for an answer.

"We didn't need insulin, Dr. Grey. She has been handling the sucrose injection on her own," he smiled at her.

"Seriously?" Meredith asked.

"Seriously," Tyler confirmed.

Meredith sighed. "That is great news. Now, if she'd only wake up."

"Baby steps," Tyler said.

Meredith read Derek's notes that he scribbled into her log. "Dr. Shepherd was here?"

Tyler nodded. "Around nine thirty this morning. He said her pupils were reactive."

"He ordered an MRI?" Meredith asked.

"Just to be on the safe side. He said that everything appeared normal and ordered it to rule out other things."

"Oh," Meredith said. "How much longer does she have on the sucrose injection?"

"About five minutes," Tyler replied. "She's hanging in there."

Meredith scanned the chart for more information and didn't notice Izzie coming up next to her. "Happy Birthday, Mer!" she said.

"Thanks, Iz. You ready for three wild monkeys this evening?"

"We can't wait. We'll order pizza and play games. Oh! Can I paint Hannah's nails? Please?" Izzie pleaded.

Meredith scrunched up her nose. "Why?"

Izzie rolled her eyes. "Because she's a girl and girls need pampering. Pretty please?"

"I'm a girl and I never painted my nails," Meredith protested.

"Meredith," Izzie said. "You weren't a normal girl."

"What the hell does that mean? Everyone is just full of insults today. My sons made fun of my snoring this morning, one of them informed me that I was old because his father told him I was, and now you're saying that I was never a normal girl?" Meredith placed her hands on her hips. "Anything else you want to say to damage my ego?"

"No," Izzie giggled. "But you look kinda tired."

Meredith opened her mouth to respond, but turned her head in the direction of the loud voice that was coming from Tara 's room. Before Meredith could move, Robert ran out of the room and over to the nurse's station. "She's awake! Tara's awake and she's talking!"

* * *

"I'm not getting my hopes up," Meredith told Dr. Bailey as they waited for Tara's lab results to come through. "I'm not getting my hopes up because if I do, I'll just be let down and I can't be let down because…" Meredith stopped talking as she tapped her fingernails against the lab counter. "I just can't," she finished.

Dr. Bailey looked at the jumpy, skittish bundle of nerves that once was Meredith Grey and rolled her eyes. "Grey, you need to take a pill. For once could you just be optimistic? You saw Tara. No diabetic would look that good after sugar running through their veins for twelve hours. Have faith that her labs will show us what we need to see."

Meredith sighed. "I have faith," she muttered. "I have faith, I have faith, I have faith," she repeated.

"I have faith, too," a familiar voice said in her ear. She felt her husband's arms wrap around her from behind. "Kids have been dropped off at Alex and Izzie's and your birthday celebration awaits."

Dr. Bailey rolled her eyes. "You two are always celebrating something."

"True," Derek answered, his arms still tightly wrapped around his wife. "But may I ask why the two of you are stalking the lab technicians?"

"Tara woke up," Meredith said. "and looks good. She's awake and looks good and I have faith." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against Derek's shoulder, not noticing that the lab tech handed a paper to Dr. Bailey. Derek watched Dr. Bailey's face as her mouth slowly broke into a wide grin. Her eyes looked up to meet Derek's and mouthed "she did it".

"I have faith," Meredith said, her eyes still closed. "Because I believe that Tara and Robert are going to get their happy ending. They will get married, have kids, grow old together and die in each other's arms when they are one hundred and ten.."

"Grey," Dr. Bailey said softly.

Meredith continued. "And maybe some dog will come into the mix. A dog that sheds all the time. A dog that will get on the sofa when no one is looking. A dog that will chew up things inedible and then puke it up on the carpet. They deserve to have that…"

"Mer," Derek murmured in her ear, trying to get her attention. Meredith didn't hear him.

"Because everyone deserves that. Don't they, Derek? Tara and Robert are us, aren't they? They really are. They communicate without words like we do. They're soul mates like us." She paused to catch her breath.

"Apparently, you have your wordless communication device shut off," Derek snickered, kissing her on the cheek. Meredith's eye's popped open to Dr. Bailey staring at her. "Dr. Bailey?" Derek asked.

"Tara Drexel, by what her glucose levels say right here on this paper, does not have diabetes. Her glucose level, after twenty four hours of pure sugar injected into her once insulin dependent pancreas, is at seventy five. Rather low, but I think that as time goes by, her levels will stabilize a little higher." Dr. Bailey looked at Meredith's wide, disbelieving eyes and then at Derek, whose facial expression reflected pure pride. Dr. Bailey handed Meredith the paper. "Congratulations, Dr. Grey, you've just made medical history."

* * *

"I am honored to go to dinner with a medical legend," Derek said, opening the car door for Meredith in the parking lot. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around him and placed a long lingering kiss on his lips.

"Dr. Shepherd," she murmured when she pulled away, "If you play your cards right, you'll most likely get to do more than just dinner with the medical legend," Meredith said huskily.

Derek's eyes lit up. "Do I get a preview?"

Meredith giggled. "At this point, I am so high on life that you may get hospital parking lot car sex." She giggled harder when she saw the look of excitement on his face. "This may go down in history as my most favorite birthday ever."

Derek nodded. "It's definitely going to be hard to beat," he agreed.

"Derek," Meredith said softly, suddenly becoming serious.

"What?" he asked.

"Did I just find a cure for diabetes?" she asked, studying his reaction to her question.

Derek smiled and traced her cheek gently with his thumb. He pulled her as close to him as he could and pressed his cheek to hers. He inhaled her sent for a moment before replying in her ear, "Yes, Meredith, I know you did."

**LEAVE ME LOVE!!! **


	28. Bragging Rights

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy.**

**Thank you for the awesome comments. There are two more chapters to this story after this one and I'm contemplating writing an epilogue. After seeing that MerDer Season 6 premiere sneak peek, my withdrawal symptoms went a little haywire. Sorry in advance ****J**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Bragging Rights**

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" Meredith said, walking into Richard Webber's office. Richard looked up from something that he was reading at his desk. He smiled when he saw her.

"Yes, Meredith. Please sit. There's something I need to discuss with you." He motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk. Meredith sat down and crossed her legs, waiting for him to speak.

Richard cleared his throat. "First of all, I just wanted to congratulate you on your medical breakthrough. I can't even begin to express how proud I am."

"Thank you, sir," Meredith replied.

Richard studied Meredith for a moment. "I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Bailey this morning before you arrived."

"Really?" Meredith asked.

"Yes, and she informed me that that you were the brains behind the operation. According to her, she just assisted you. Was she right in saying that?" Richard asked.

Meredith stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Well, Dr. Bailey is quite humble, sir. Yes, I researched it, developed the sucrose solution and all of the details pertaining to the procedure, but I needed Dr. Bailey on board because she is an attending."

"Dr. Bailey said that you did about ninety percent of the work involved in this clinical trial. As a matter of fact, the trial became a success while she was on vacation."

Meredith nodded slowly. "Yes, Dr. Bailey took vacation three weeks ago."

Richard stared at her for a moment. "I usually don't send residents to speak at medical conferences, but because of the great work you've done on this and the fact that you know the most about this trial, I'm sending you to Boston to speak about it."

"Me?" Meredith squeaked. "Why?"

"Because this trial is your baby," Richard answered. "You deserve this Meredith. You deserve to present it at the conference. Now, Patricia will make your reservations and accommodations. The conference is Thursday and Friday, so you'll leave Wednesday."

"Huh?" Meredith asked, still shocked from Richard telling her that she would be presenting at a medical conference. Was he for real?

"You will leave Wednesday morning to allow you enough time to get settled." He frowned for a moment. "Will child care be an issue?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, not at all."

"Good. That's all I needed to speak to you about2. Follow up with Patricia in the next few days so she can go over everything with you. Have a good day, Dr. Grey."

"Thank you, sir," Meredith said, standing up and leaving the room. In a few days she would fly to Boston and present her trial to hundreds of doctors who would probably have a ton of questions. Meredith could feel her stomach churning at the thought of speaking in public. She always did have a slight fear of that. Not fear of speaking, a fear of rambling because when she was nervous, that's what she did. Meredith walked towards Derek's office. She needed him to talk her through this.

* * *

"Hi, Ma," Derek said, placing his phone to his ear. "How are you?"

"Good. How are those grandchildren of mine?" Carolyn asked.

"They're great, Ma. They're growing up so fast. You should see them," Derek smiled.

"I'll see them soon," Carolyn said.

Derek sat back in his chair and stretched the muscles of his legs. "Yeah? You coming to visit?"

"Not, I'm not visiting, Derek, you are," she said.

"What?" Derek asked.

Carolyn sighed. "Don't tell me you forgot."

Derek shook his head, frantically searching his brain to remember. "I didn't forget."

"Good," Carolyn sighed. "Then you are coming."

"Where?" Derek asked.

"To New York ," she said. "You did forget," Carolyn decided.

"I didn't forget, Ma, I've just been busy. Why am I coming to New York , again?"

"The Maloney reunion is Saturday, Derek. I called and told you about it months ago. You promised me that you would try everything you could to make it this year. You said you had some vacation time put away and it shouldn't be a problem. Do I need to remind you that you haven't been to a reunion in seven years?"

"Ma," Derek groaned.

"Don't Ma me, Derek. Do I need to remind you that only the immediate family has met your wife and children? Your aunts and uncles have been asking when they'll get to see you again. Besides, what's wrong with wanting to show off my grandchildren? Grandchildren that I've waited patiently for you to give me for over fifteen years. Not to mention introducing a daughter in law that I actually enjoy being around."

Derek sighed. He now remembered telling his mother a few months ago that he had the vacation time and would try everything he could to make it because he knew how much it meant to her. Then, work and life got in the way and he was sure that he never mentioned the family reunion to Meredith. He would have remembered her freak out. Meredith didn't mind visiting his mother and had developed a civil relationship with his sisters, but meeting the entire family? That was pushing it.

"Derek?" Carolyn asked. "You're coming, right?"

Derek sighed. He'd have a lot of explaining to do later to Meredith. "We'll be there, Ma."

* * *

Meredith pushed the door open to Derek's office. She found him staring at the framed pictures of his family that sat on the shelf, deep in thought. "Derek," she whined.

Derek's head snapped up to look at her. "Hey," he said, noticing the frown on her face. "What's wrong?"

"The Chief is what's wrong," she replied, walking across the room and flopping down on the sofa.

Derek stood up and walked around his desk to the couch. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Want to talk about it?" he asked softly, pulling her towards him so that her head rested on his chest. He smiled as she let out an adorable sound, mixed between a groan and a sigh. He kissed the top of her head.

"The Chief wants me to go to Boston and talk about my clinical trial," she said, rubbing her nose against his shirt.

"Really?" Derek couldn't hide the pride in his voice. "Meredith, that's amazing!"

"Yeah," Meredith nodded, looking up at him. "Until I start rambling halfway through the presentation."

"You won't ramble," Derek chuckled. "Is Dr. Bailey going with you?"

Meredith shook her head. "She won't. She said that this is my trial and I know everything about it, so the Chief is sending me."

"When?" Derek asked.

"Next week," she moved to the opposite end of the sofa, kicked off her sneakers and placed them in Derek's lap. "The conference is next Thursday and Friday. I leave Wednesday morning."

Derek didn't say anything as he massaged the tension out of her feet. Boston was only about four hours away from the location of his family reunion this weekend. He could get Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off of work and he and the kids could go with Meredith to Boston for moral support. Then, they could catch a flight from Boston to New York for the reunion and then fly from New York back home on Sunday. Sounded like a great plan. Now, Meredith just needed to be on board with it. "I'll go," he offered.

Meredith's eyes snapped open to look at him, her euphoric state from her husband's foot massage being quickly interrupted. "What?"

"I'll go. I have a few vacation days so I'll go with you. I'll be your wing man. It'll be fun."

Meredith gave him a skeptic look.

"Okay, it won't be fun, but it'll be fine." He smiled at her.

"And what do we do with the children? They're not staying with Mark this time," she grumbled.

"We'll take them along. The boys will love the plane ride. Hannah will probably sleep most of the way. Besides, I want to be there to see you present your clinical trial. I was there when the medical breakthrough happened," Derek reminded her. He was there. He was the attending present in the operating room when she did the procedure on Tara for the second time. He was there, quietly cauterizing her bleeders, watching her in amazement and realizing how extraordinary of a surgeon she had become.

"I guess we could do that," she finally said.

Derek nodded. "Right." Here goes nothing. "And then maybe we could fly down from Boston to New York on Friday evening for a quick visit with my family. We could leave to come home Sunday."

Meredith raised her eyebrows at her husband. He was hiding something, she could tell. He wouldn't look her in the eye. "We could visit your mom," Meredith said. "Maybe we could go to that bistro restaurant that you and I both love. You know, the one where I ate my weight in hot wings the last time we were there?"

He cleared his throat. "Maybe we can after the Maloney reunion," he said quickly, turning to look at her.

Meredith's eyes grew wide. "The Maloney what?" she squeaked. "Seriously?"

Derek nodded. "Mom told me about it a few months ago. I meant to tell you about it, but it slipped my mind. It's next Saturday."

Meredith processed what he said for a moment. She didn't do families. She was just to the point where she didn't mind Derek's and now he wanted her to go to a family reunion where there would be tons of people that she didn't know. She had to find an excuse to get out of it somehow.

"Mer, my aunts and uncles have been asking mom when they'd get to meet you and the kids." Derek said, running his hand sympathetically up and down her leg.

"Well," she said slowly, trying to rack her brain for an excuse not to go. "I will probably be burned out after my presentations, so you and the kids go and I'll fly home on Friday to…to," she stuttered, "to take care of the dog! Four days away from him would be too much. You know how hyper he is. I'll come home to be with him." She knew it was a pathetic excuse, but it was the best thing she could think of in such a short amount of time.

Derek chucked. "Meredith, the dog? Are you kidding me? You hate the dog. After he ate your birthday cake, you announced to me that you wanted nothing to do with him."

Meredith shook her head. "Dog and I have agreed to disagree. I no longer complain about the massive amounts of fur he sheds and he no longer chews my shoes or my furniture. He also promised not to jump up on the counter anymore and eat things."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Mark will take care of Dog while we're gone. Think of a better reason not to go."

"Well," she thought. "I don't want to," she whined.

Derek sighed and nodded. It was time to play the guilt trip. "Fine, then you call and break my mother's heart because I told her you were coming and she was very excited to hear that. She can't wait to show off the daughter in law she actually loves to be around."

**"_Oh, Derek, don't flip it!" Meredith squealed. "It's Steel Magnolias!"_**

_**Derek sighed as he handed her the television remote. "I'm going into the kitchen. Do you need anything?"**_

**"_No," Meredith said, her eyes not moving from the screen. She giggled. "I love Ouizer. She cracks me up."_**

_**Derek looked at the screen and rolled his eyes. He got up and walked into the kitchen, getting himself a bottled water and an apple out of the refrigerator. He walked back into the living room and flopped back down on the couch, placing himself between Meredith's legs and gently propping his head up on her stomach. He took a bite of his apple. **_

**"_This is the part when Shelby's husband signs the papers to take her off life support," Meredith said, grabbing Derek's apple from his hand and taking a bite. _**

_**Derek looked up at her. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, watching her as she devoured his apple. He twisted open the cap of his water bottle and took a gulp. **_

**"_You've never seen this movie?" She asked. "Seriously?" She placed the apple core on the coffee table._**

**"_Nope," he said._**

**"_Shelby had end stage kidney failure," she said, grabbing the bottle of water from his hand. She unscrewed the cap and drank the majority of it. "I can't believe that you've never seen this movie," she told him, taking another drink and emptying the bottle and handing it back to him. "Thanks," she said._**

**"_Anytime, dear," he said, moving so that he was between her body and the back of the couch. He put his head on her chest and made himself comfortable. "How'd it get to this point?"_**

_**Meredith ran her hand up and down his back. "She was diabetic. The doctors advised her not to have children. She went against their advice and had a baby after she got married to Jackson." **_

**"_Hmmm" he mumbled, enjoying the feel of her touching him. "Did the baby live?"_**

_**Meredith nodded. "Yeah, but shortly after he was born, she started going into kidney failure, so her mother gave her one of her kidneys."**_

**"_Okay," Derek said. "She apparently rejected the kidney."_**

**"_Yeah, Jackson comes home to the baby screaming and Shelby lying unconscious on the floor."_**

_**Derek sat up and looked at the screen. "That's terrible," he said softly. **_

**"_She never woke up," Meredith said, feeling the tears start to form in her eyes. "All she wanted was to be happy." She burst into tears. _**

**_Derek sat up straighter and pulled her into his arms. _"_It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "It's just a movie, Mer."_**

_**Meredith sat up to look at him, frantically wiping her tears away. "No, it's not, Derek. I mean, yeah, it's a movie, but do you realize how lucky we are? We got married and decided to have children, so we went ahead and did it, just like that. Granted, this time around my sugar is high, but it's temporary. It will go away once the baby comes. There are people who want a life like us, Derek, and they can't have it. They can't and it's not fair."**_

_**Derek nodded. "You're right, it's not fair. But someday, someone will find a cure for diabetes and people will get the chance to have a life like ours." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "And when that person does find a cure, it will be quite a day in medical history. A glorious day."**_

"What do you think of this one?" Meredith held up a navy blue dress towards Hannah, who was sitting in her exersaucer, watching her mother decide what to pack to wear for her presentation. Hannah chewed on her rattle and stared at the dress with a perplexed expression on her face. Meredith held the dress out so that she could take a look. "Nah," she said, walking back to the closet to pick something else out.

Derek had taken the boys into town to do some last minute errands before their trip. At the mention of ice cream, the boys wasted no time getting their shoes on and jumping in the car. Derek and Meredith had told them that morning that they would be going away for the weekend and ever since, Noah and Cole had been bouncing off the walls in excitement. They were excited to fly on a plane, excited that they would be staying in a hotel room, but were most excited about the fact that they would be seeing Grandma Shepherd.

"Okay," Meredith sighed, emerging from the closet again. "This one screams medical legend, right?" Meredith held up a pink blazer skirt suit. Hannah giggled and suddenly stopped when she spied herself in the full length mirror hanging on the closet door. She smiled brightly at herself and pointed. "Ma!"

Meredith turned to look at Hannah's reflection in the mirror and gasped. "Who is that beautiful baby girl in there?" Hannah giggled louder as Meredith dramatically turned to look at her and then back in the mirror. "It's Hannah Banana!"

Noah and Cole had developed that nickname for Hannah one day when Noah came home from preschool after a day of learning how to rhyme. He became aware at the dinner table that night that Hannah and Banana rhymed. Since then, that nickname stuck and everyone called her that. Except for Derek, who still referred to her as his princess.

Hannah held out her hands for Meredith to pick her up once the mirror game lost her interest. Meredith threw the pink suit on the bed and scooped her up. She pressed her cheek to Hannah's and walked over to her dresser, where her treasured pictures sat in frames. She picked up a photo of Derek and the boys that she took at the zoo the previous summer.

"Who's that?" Meredith asked, pointing to Derek.

"Dada," Hannah said immediately, reaching to touch the frame.

"Who's that?" Meredith pointed to Noah.

"Noe," Hannah responded. "Coe," she said, pointing to Cole.

Meredith put the frame down and picked up one with all the kids, including the dog. Derek had insisted that they take the picture for Christmas cards. The picture had been a hit with Derek's family. Noah and Cole had posed on either side of Dog, all three sitting in front of the Christmas tree. Hannah sat in front of Dog, and right before Derek had taken the picture, Dog had propped his head on Hannah's shoulder. The picture turned out to be adorable. "Who's this?" Meredith asked her, pointing at the dog.

"Doe," Hannah replied.

Meredith looked at the clock. "It's your naptime," she said.

"No," Hannah said.

"Yes," Meredith said, hearing the doorbell ring downstairs. "Saved by the bell." She carried Hannah downstairs and peered through the eyehole of the front door. She frowned and opened the door. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Are you Mrs. Shepherd?" the man asked. He was holding two dry cleaning bags.

"Yes, and you are?" Meredith asked skeptically.

"I'm Tom from Ann Taylor, the store in downtown Seattle," he said. "I have your suits, ma'am."

"My suits?" Meredith asked, confused. "I didn't order any suits."

Tom looked at his clipboard. "Your husband, Dr. Shepherd, ordered these suits for you. Size two, one grey and one black. Where would you like me to put them, Mrs. Shepherd?"

"Um," Meredith scrambled, in shock that her husband did this. "You can hang them on the coat rack over there." Meredith pointed to the coat rack on the wall. She sat Hannah down on the floor as she grabbed her purse. She handed Tom two twenties, but he put his hand up in protest. "No, thank you, Mrs. Shepherd. You're husband was more than gracious with his tip. Have a nice day."

Meredith saw Tom out and after she closed the door, she made a bee-line for the hangers. Her mouth dropped open as she unzipped them. There were two Ann Taylor pant suits, one grey and one black. There was a slip of paper in the pocket of the grey blazer. Meredith reached for it and noticed that it was Derek's writing_: I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you. You're amazing and I am honored to be the husband of a medical legend. I love you with all my heart, Derek. _Meredith wiped the tears from her eyes and giggled a the last part of the note. _PS. I would have gotten you skirt suits, but I didn't want anyone staring at your legs._

**"_This baby will not stop moving," Meredith complained as she got into the car. "It's driving me crazy."_**

_**Derek looked at her from the driver's seat. "You know what's driving me crazy?" he asked, turning to look behind him as he backed out of the garage. **_

**"_No, what?" Meredith asked, looking at him curiously. _**

**"_You are six months pregnant and I have yet to feel the baby move. Like last night, you called me from the bathroom to feel her and the minute my hand went onto your stomach, she stopped. I could have my hand permanently on your stomach and she wouldn't move." He glared ahead as he drove. _**

**"_Hmm, maybe the baby is a 'he' and he's pissed at you because you keep calling him 'she'," she joked. _**

_**Derek glared at her. "Not funny. I felt Noah and Cole move at five months. I don't think the baby likes me."**_

_**Meredith studied his expression. "The baby loves you, Derek," she said, feeling the baby flop around in her stomach. "Ooh, give me your hand. It's moving!"**_

_**Derek put his hand on her stomach and the baby immediately stopped. "Wait," she said, seeing his distraught look. "Give it a minute."**_

_**Derek drove for about five minutes with his hand on Meredith's stomach. The baby didn't move once. He pulled his hand away and placed it back on the steering wheel. Meredith sighed. **_

**"_Daddy, our music, pwease?" Noah asked from the back seat._**

**"_Coming right up," Derek said, reaching at the CD holder on the visor for 'The Clash'. He put it into the player and a song came on. Meredith looked at Noah and Cole in the back seat, who were wiggling away to the music. She giggled and looked at Derek, who was jarring his shoulders back and forth to the beat. Meredith felt the baby start to move again, flopping from side to side in her stomach, like he or she was dancing, too. Meredith reached for Derek's hand. Derek looked at her and smiled, reaching down and intertwining his fingers with hers. She immediately let go and placed his hand on her stomach. _**

_**Derek's head snapped over to her stomach as he felt the baby move all over. He pulled the car over suddenly and put it in park. He leaned over and put both hands on her stomach and chuckled as he felt the baby flop. "Hi sweetie, it's Daddy," he murmured into her stomach. He looked up at Meredith and smiled with tears in his eyes. **_

_**Meredith ran her fingers through his hair. "Your baby loves you, Derek. But I think she loves 'The Clash' more."**_

Meredith stepped into the shower early Thursday morning. She had gotten up earlier than usual to allow herself time to go over her speech and to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead. The fact that her husband and children were there helped with her nervousness tremendously. Besides the slight issue of the time change for the children, she slept better than she thought wrapped up in Derek's arms.

She sighed deeply as the warm water hit her body. She had about two hours until the kids woke up and she could spend some time with them before she had to leave. She had two presentations to do today and Derek told her that he and their children would be at both.

Meredith was so preoccupied in her thoughts, she didn't Derek enter the bathroom. He undressed and quietly slipped into the shower with her. He wrapped his arms around her and she shrieked. "You scared the hell out of me," she gasped, turning around to look at him.

"Sorry," he murmured, pressing his lips to hers. "I heard the sound of the shower. Then my mind translated that into you being naked in the shower, rubbing your hands all over your body, so I had to come in and see for myself." He leaned in to kiss her again, more passionately, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

"Did you check on the kids?" she breathed, raking her fingers through his hair.

"Sound asleep," he answered. "Are you okay? Nervous at all?" He kissed her cheek.

"Very," she replied, closing her eyes as his lips trailed up her cheek and behind her ear.

"Need me to distract you?" he whispered in her ear, pulling her closer to him so she could feel his erection against her stomach.

"Oh, yes," she breathed. "Please distract me with some hotel shower sex." She started kissing and sucking his neck as his hands cupped her breasts. She moaned against his skin as his thumbs gently rubbed her nipples.

"Mer," he said, pulling her hair suddenly to access her neck. He nibbled and licked up to her lips. He groaned as he felt her hand circle around his erection. "Meredith," he breathed, letting the sensation of her touching him overtake his body. "You're amazing."

He traced his hands up her back and weaved his fingers through her hair, pulling her back slightly so that she leaned away from him. He devoured her neck and chest, slowly moving to her breast. He circled his tongue around her nipple and sucked gently. Meredith moaned in pleasure. He copied the same motions with the other breast, only surprising her by biting down gently.

She moaned loudly, calling his name as she raked her fingers through his hair. He smiled against her skin as he trailed kisses back up to her lips. His left hand remained entangled in her hair while his right caressed down her body and between her legs. He pulled back to watch her in amazement as she reacted to his touch. He moved his thumb to her clit and used exactly the amount of pressure she needed. He felt her clamp down around his fingers as her orgasm consumed her. He loved to watch her come. It was immensely satisfying to him knowing that he did this to her.

"Derek," she murmured, wrapping her leg around his waist, feeling his erection poking into her core. "Derek," she said again. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him inside her.

"Tell me," he whispered. "Baby, tell me what you want?"

"I…I," she thunked her head against the tiles of the shower wall, like she was trying to get the words to form in her brain so she could say them. The thunking didn't help.

Derek smiled and pressed his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss. He felt her tongue enter his mouth and he lifted her slightly and eased her onto his erection. "Is this what you wanted?" he whispered, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Yeah," she breathed. "Hard." She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him as he thrusted in and out of her at a frenzied pace.

"Tell me you love me," he murmured in her ear, not slowing his movements.

"I love you," she breathed.

"Say it again," he growled, sucking on her ear lobe.

"I love you," she repeated. "God, so much." Her moans echoed throughout the bathroom as he continued to pound into her.

"I love you, too," Derek whispered. He tightened his grip on her hips to thrust into her harder. He was surrounded by her. Her fingers raking through hair, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, her breasts pressing against his chest. He groaned as he felt her walls clamping around him. God, she was intoxicating, and she was all his.

"What you do to me," she murmured in his ear, moaning as she felt his hand move between them. He pressed her clit with the pad of his thumb gently, knowing that it wouldn't take much to finish her. He could feel himself coming as he heard her moan and chant his name. Her walls clamped down around him as she came, pulling her with him as she milked him dry. He spilled into her as he groaned her name.

They held each other for a moment, trying to catch their breath. She pulled back to kiss him soundly. "Hmmm, that was amazing," she said, kissing his forehead.

"Mind-blowing," he added, removing himself from inside her and placing her gently on the shower floor. "The water's cold," he smiled.

"Freezing," she shivered.

Derek reached to shut the water off. "So, did I distract you enough?" He smirked at her.

"Definitely," she giggled, pressing her lips to his.

* * *

"Daddy," Noah whispered. Derek leaned down to him so he could whisper in his ear." What's wrong with Mommy?"

Derek looked up to Meredith on stage and chuckled. She was definitely nervous as she shifted from one foot to the other, looking like she'd seen a ghost. "Mommy's nervous," Derek whispered back. "All of these people came here to listen to her talk about her work."

"'Cause hers intornent," Cole said from his seat beside Noah.

Derek nodded. "She is very important, Cole. The work she did will help lots and lots of people get better." Derek felt tears stinging his eyes at the thought. "Daddy is very proud of Mommy." He shifted Hannah in his lap and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I hope you grow up to be just like her, Princess." Hannah turned towards him and giggled.

Noah crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head. "After Mommy's done, can we get in one of those things with wheels that a horse pulls?"

Derek smiled. "The horse drawn carriage? Sure and then maybe we'll go to the big park we saw yesterday."

"Yes!" Noah and Cole cried.

Derek glanced at Meredith, who was staring at him from her spot on stage. She gave him an uncertain look and he smiled at her reassuringly. He saw her eyes widen as Dr. Patton, Chief of Surgery at Massachusetts General, stepped up to the podium.

"I am very pleased to introduce our next speaker," Dr. Patton said, smiling widely. "Dr. Meredith Grey is a general surgery resident at Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. All of you are familiar with her recent work in regards to diabetes treatment. Dr. Grey has taken her knowledge to the utmost degree for finding a cure for this life changing disease. I've talked enough, so let me introduce to you, Dr. Meredith Grey."

The entire room erupted in applause as Meredith slowly got up and walked over to the podium. Derek covered Hannah's ears to block the sound and looked over at Noah and Cole, who had covered their ears as well. Derek could feel a wide smile forming on his face at the warm welcome that his wife got from the audience. An audience full of doctors who the majority of them had been in practice as long as Meredith had been alive.

Meredith cleared her throat. "Good morning," she said. "My name is Dr. Meredith Grey and I am a surgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital in Seattle, Washington. " She glanced at Derek, who nodded at her to continue. Meredith cleared her throat again and looked down at her key cards. "There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. Thanks to capsaicin, the ingredient found in chili peppers, and the recent work that a fellow colleague of mine and I have done, those numbers will no longer be accurate. As a matter of fact, my colleague and I have great reason to believe that we have found a cure."

**As always, comments are adored. Two more updates after this one…..**


	29. Family Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy**

**Okay, first let me just say that I, in no way, think that dementia is funny. That being said, the reason for writing this chapter the way I did was because I wanted to bring Addison in the chapter a little to make it slightly difficult for Meredith at the family reunion. I wanted Meredith to be at a point with Derek's immediate family that Addison was no longer an issue. I mean, at this point, Derek and Meredith have been married for about six years. So, I apologize in advance if I offend anyone.**

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Family Reunion**

"I am so glad that's over," Meredith exhaled as she leaned back in her seat on the plane. She, Derek and the children were flying from Boston to New York.

Derek finished strapping Hannah in her car seat and gave her a teething ring. He turned and put his arm around Meredith. "You did a great job, Meredith. I never thought we were going to get out of there this afternoon with all the questions you were being asked."

Meredith nodded. "It did get rather intense," she frowned. "They seemed very skeptical. I mean, I am a resident."

Derek pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. "They were intrigued, honey. You're forgetting that I was in the audience. People were speechless at the research you've done."

"Really?" she asked, looking at him incredulously.

Derek nodded. "They weren't skeptical at all. They were very interested in what you had to say."

Meredith took a deep breath. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right," Derek replied, casting her a coy smile.

Meredith snorted and reached for her magazine. Derek read the cover. "Ten ways to have him begging for more," he read. "More what?"

"Are you serious?" Meredith giggled, looking at his face and noticing his amused expression.

"Please read and demonstrate tonight," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I don't think so," Meredith said. "There will be no S-E-X while we're at your mother's, Derek."

Derek looked at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Meredith shook her head. "I will not do…that…with you until we are home. Yesterday's shower was it."

"Why?" Derek whined. "We did it last time we came to New York," he protested.

"Yeah," Meredith agreed, "In the garden shed. You broke your mother's Christmas lights."

Derek winced. "With my ass. I must have repressed that memory." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It wouldn't have been as bad it I would have had jeans on. Pajama pants gave no padding to the impact."

Meredith giggled. "It was a long plane ride home. Did you ever fess up to her about breaking them?"

Derek shook his head. "I just bought her more and sent them to her. I figured she'd put two and two together."

"Mommy," Noah said. "Do you like it when Daddy gets a shower with you?"

Derek and Meredith looked at each other for a moment before turning to look at their son. "What do you mean?" Meredith asked. She dreaded his answer.

"Well," Noah said. "Yesterday, I woke up 'cause I had to go potty and the door was locked. You were getting a shower and you were yelling."

Meredith could feel her face turning red and she could see Derek tensing up in his seat out of the corner of her eye. She stared at Cole for a moment, who was on the other side of Noah playing his video game. "I wasn't yelling, Noah," Meredith said.

"Yes you were, Mommy. You were yelling Daddy's name really loud. Then, I heard Daddy yell, too," Noah informed them. "Why was you guys yelling?"

Meredith closed her eyes to process the information that her son had just told her. Her baby, not even five yet, had heard them having sex and then just now asked them about it. How the hell did she get out of this one?

"Mommy had an itch that she couldn't reach," Derek said suddenly. "So she asked Daddy to itch it for her. Mommy is happy when Daddy scratches her itches she can't reach." Meredith turned slowly to look at him, giving him an unimpressed look. "What?" she mouthed, frowning at him. Derek shrugged at her helplessly.

"Like when you itch my back for me, Mommy? "Cause I can't reach." Noah asked.

"That's right, Noah," Meredith said flatly. "Mommy was yelling because Daddy was itching a spot she couldn't reach and it felt good." She nudged Derek in the ribs with her elbow.

"Daddy itches you a lot, right?" Noah asked, not missing a beat. Meredith tried to ignore his question, but looked down at him when she felt his little finger poking her arm to get her attention.

"What?" she asked.

"Daddy itches you a lot after we go to bed at night, right?" Noah asked. Derek snorted and occupied himself with the book he was reading. She really, really hated him right now.

"Sometimes, Noah, but Mommy thinks she'll invest in a back scratcher when we get home," she said, glaring at Derek.

* * *

"Gamma, we gotted a dog now," Cole told Carolyn as he sat at her kitchen table eating a snack. Carolyn had insisted that Derek and Meredith go out for awhile so that she could spend some quality time with her grandchildren.

"You did? What kind of dog did you get?" Carolyn asked, pretending to be surprised by his news. She was well aware of their newest family member and knew the story behind how he got there, too.

"Um," Cole thought. "Hims a boy dog 'cause him has a willy."

Noah rolled his eyes at his brother. "He's a Hussy, Grandma," Noah said.

Carolyn bit her lip to avoid laughing. "He's a Hussy? Do you mean a Husky?"

"That's what I said," Noah replied. "A Hussy."

"Well, does he get along well with everyone?" Carolyn asked.

Cole nodded. "I get awong wif him."

"He's everybody's friend," Noah said. "Except for Mommy."

"Your dog is not Mommy's friend?" Carolyn asked, offering Hannah more Cheerios. Hannah smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Nope," Cole replied. "Dog eated her shoes. And her birfday cake."

"He ate her rug, too, but Daddy didn't tell her. We went quick to the store before she got home and Daddy bought a new one just like it." Noah looked at his grandmother with raised eyebrows. "Cause if she knew Dog ate her rug, she'd be mad," he said.

"Him peed on the fwoor, too, but Daddy cweaned it up before Mommy gotted home," Cole said.

"Oh, my," Carolyn replied. "He sounds like he's a busy dog."

"Yeah, and guess what?" Noah grinned

"What?" Carolyn asked.

"He likes to fish. Daddy takes him fishing with us and Daddy says 'get the fish, Dog' and Dog will go down over the bank and get our fish for us so we don't need to use a net!"

"That is amazing," Carolyn gasped, reaching over to tickle Hannah's belly, which made her giggle.

Noah and Cole nodded. "Yep and guess what else?" Cole asked.

"What?"

"Daddy and us teachded him all kinds of twicks. Noah shoots him wif hims finger and him falls over dead," Noah and Cole giggled.

"He sounds very smart," Carolyn said, smiling at her grandsons.

"Him is," Cole said.

"Mommy said he's so smart that he's stupid," Noah replied.

"Do you think that Mommy will like your dog someday?" Carolyn asked.

"I hope so," Noah said. "Cause I don't know where she'll live then."

**"_Mer, you paged me 911," Cristina said, flying into restroom. "Where are you? Are you okay?"_**

**"_Yes," Meredith said from inside one of the stalls. "I'm freaking ecstatic."_**

**_Cristina bent down and peered under the stalls and noticed Meredith's feet in the very last one. "If you're freaking ecstatic, then why did you page me 911?"_**

**_Meredith sighed loudly. "I needed you to come," she said._**

**"_Yeah, obviously. What's the emergency?" Cristina asked, growing impatient. She had to abruptly leave her spot in the long cafeteria line when she got Meredith's page. "I'm not getting any younger, Meredith!" she exclaimed when Meredith didn't say anything. _**

**"_There's not an emergency, per se," Meredith said. "I paged you because I need your help."_**

**"_What's wrong?" Cristina asked. "Meredith, get out here right now and tell me what's wrong before I crawl over the stall and kick your pregnant ass out of there."_**

**"_I wet my pants," Meredith said softly. "I need you to go to the resident's lounge and get me a new pair of scrubs, new underwear, new socks, and my other pair of sneakers."_**

**"_What?" Cristina asked. "You peed your pants?" The thought of it made her burst into laughter. "How'd you pee your pants? I need a visual. Open the door."_**

**"_Shut up!" Meredith snapped. "I am not opening the door. I was in surgery and by the time I closed my patient up, I had to go really, really bad. Then, on my way to the restroom, the baby kicked me in the bladder and it the whole dam flooded! I need a shower and I refuse to walk the halls of this hospital with my pants all wet. Go and get me my things, please?"_**

**"_I think Shepherd is better equipped to deal with this type of thing," Cristina said. _**

**"_No!" Meredith exclaimed. "I don't want him to know about this. Don't get him because then he'll be all supportive and he'll consider this an emotional trauma and hover around me the rest of the day making sure I'm okay."_**

**"_So, let me get this straight," Cristina teased. "You paged me to the restroom to get you new clothes because you peed your pants?"_**

**"_Yes," Meredith said. _**

**"_And you don't want your overprotective stalker husband to know because he'll do what he does best?" Cristina asked. Meredith was going to kill her._**

**"_Yes, so don't you dare page him," Meredith warned._**

**_Derek burst through the door. "Meredith!" he said, slightly out of breath. "Where are you?"_**

**"_Cristina," Meredith groaned. "You paged him?"_**

**"_Hey, you paged me 911from your cell phone so I paged your husband 911. Meredith, almost seven months pregnant woman do not page people 911 unless it's a true emergency," Cristina informed her._**

**"_What's going on?" Derek asked, looking confused as he tried to open the bathroom stall that Meredith was in. "Mer, what's wrong?"_**

**"_Nothing," Meredith said quickly. "Everything's fine."_**

**_Cristina rolled her eyes and looked at her watch. "I have a valve replacement in ten minutes." She turned to Derek. "Your spawn decided to kick your wife in the bladder causing her to pee her pants. She paged me 911 to fetch her some new clothes. Unfortunately, I do not run errands for pregnant women, especially those you've made that way. So, get her the things she needs, and for everyone's sake, don't hover over her for the rest of the day. It's annoying and slightly nauseating," Cristina made a face and turned to the bathroom stall again. "Do you need me for anything else, Mer?"_**

**"**_**Nope, you've pretty much summed it up," Meredith replied.**_

Meredith opened the pantry door in search of mustard. Derek's entire family was out on the patio for a cook out and Meredith felt the need to escape. Granted, she liked Derek's family and got along well with his sisters, but all of them in one place made her feel slightly suffocated.

Carolyn had planned this get together shortly after she realized that she would have all her children and grandchildren under the same roof at the same time. Meredith was slightly pissed about it after finding out that Derek knew it was in the plan and didn't bother mentioning it to her. She sighed as she scanned the shelves for the yellow container.

"What are you doing in here?" Derek asked, coming in behind her and closing the door. He immediately spun her around and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm looking for mustard," she managed to say before Derek consumed her in a breathtaking kiss. "What are you doing in here?"

Well, I'm looking for sex," he gave her a toothy grin.

Meredith raised her eyebrows at him. "Are you for real, Derek? What did I tell you on the plane? There will be no sex at your mother's house. Oh, and do I need to remind you that I'm pissed because you didn't warn me about the family get together before the family get together? You're shut off from sex until further notice." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Come on," he whined. "It'll take five minutes, tops."

Meredith giggled despite herself. "No! I was told specifically by your mother to get mustard and I can't find any. It's only a matter of time before the Walton's send in a search and rescue team."

Derek chucked as he began unbuttoning her jeans. "Did you just refer to my family as the Walton's?"

"Yes, John Boy, what…" she gasped as his hand slid inside her jeans and found what he was searching for between her legs. "Oh, God. What are you d-doing?" she stuttered. Derek kissed her again, sliding his tongue into her mouth while his hands touched her in all the right places. She moaned.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he murmured, trailing kisses down her cheek and to her neck.

"Derek," she panted, grasping his shoulders tightly. "We can't do this in here."

Derek smiled against her skin. "We can. The shed is currently being used as a fort by the kids," he sucked on her clavicle and moved her back against the shelf. "Dinner is not done yet, so we have time." He bit her neck gently as he moved his hands under her shirt and pushed it up with her bra to have access to her breasts. He ducked to trail his lips along her chest, stopping to take one of her nipples in his mouth and sucking gently.

Meredith moaned louder, roughing pulling at his hair for him to stand back up. She crashed her lips against his as she unbuttoned his jeans and yanked them down with his boxers. "You have five minutes!" she ordered, taking her pants off the rest of the way.

"Bossy," he joked, kicking his pants off as well. He picked her up and placed her on the shelf, wrapping her legs around him. She scooted forward slightly as he entered her, filling her completely. Both moaned deeply at the sensation as he furiously pounded into her over and over again, getting them both to their climaxes quickly. Feeling Meredith's walls clamp around him and hearing her moans of orgasmic pleasure was all it took as he spilled himself inside of her. He kissed her soundly and placed his forehead against hers trying to regulate his breathing. Meredith suddenly squirmed uncomfortably, causing him to pull out of her. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"I'm sitting on something and it's really uncomfortable," she complained.

Derek reached around her and presented the mustard. "Is this what you were looking for?"

Meredith giggled as he helped her off the shelf. They both quickly redressed. "Do I have sex hair?" she smiled.

He smiled back at her, smoothing her hair down. "If I did my job right."

"Oh, you definitely did your job right," she replied, turning to grab the mustard and make sure everything was in place before opening the pantry door. They walked hand in hand outside.

"Here's the mustard," Derek held up the container for his mother to see, but Carolyn kept her eyes trained on the food that was cooking on the grill. Derek looked at Meredith for a moment and shrugged. They looked around the yard at the adults.

Nancy had a slight smile on her face as she looked back at them. Angela busied herself with reading Meredith's Cosmo. Jennifer, Derek's next to youngest sister, glanced at them humorously from her game of badminton she was playing with the kids while Kathleen ignored the situation completely by singing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' to Hannah. The brothers in law stood in a group, whistling and whooping at them.

"What?" Derek finally asked.

"Pantry window was wide open," Angela said as she flipped the page. "We heard everything."

Nancy handed Derek her keys. "Please take my car, go to the store and get more mustard. I believe you two have contaminated that one." She smiled sweetly.

Meredith could feel her face turning red. Derek smiled sheepishly.

Noah walked up to his parents with a curious expression on his face. "Daddy," he said. "Mommy's back itched again, right?"

**"_Rug rats are out for the night," Derek said, walking past Meredith and into the bathroom. "They fought it till the bitter end."_**

**_Meredith could hear the water running as Derek brushed his teeth. "Do you think they sense that soon a baby will demand all of our attention and they'll be left out?"_**

**_Derek clicked off the light and walked over to the bed. "Maybe," he said. "But that won't happen. We'll have time for all of them."_**

**"_You seem so sure," Meredith said skeptically, shifting so that he could cuddle up next to her. "How are you so sure?"_**

**"_Well," Derek sighed. "I mean, it will be hard, but we just need to remember that our family comes first."_**

**"_How do we do that?" she asked, closing her eyes as he ran his hands over her stomach. _**

**"_Well, my mom would have movie night once a week. We'd all sit down as a family and take turns picking what movie to watch and we'd eat popcorn and just be…a family." Meredith stared at him for a moment. "That sounds nice. What else did you do as a family?"_**

**"_We went on a family vacation every year, even after dad died. We'd also have dinner together every night at the table and if someone wasn't going to make it, Mom knew in advance."_**

**"_And she cooked every night?" Meredith asked in awe._**

**_Derek nodded. "Every night. We'd get take out once in awhile, but she cooked the majority of the time."_**

**"_Sounds impossible for two surgeons," Meredith said. _**

**_Derek shook his head. "It's not impossible, Mer. It just takes timing and dedication."_**

**"_I didn't have that," Meredith said softly. "I spent most nights at home alone or at a friends house for dinner. I never had movie night or went on a family vacation or dinner at the table. It was just…me."_**

**"_Not anymore," Derek said, pulling her to him as she laid her head on his chest. "We should make our own family traditions now."_**

**_Meredith sighed. "I like the idea of family vacations every year. That sounds like fun."_**

**"_Okay," Derek said, running his hand up and down her back. "Yearly family vacation it is. What else?"_**

**"_I like the idea of movie night. Once a week, say Saturday night," she said._**

**"_Movie night every Saturday night," Derek agreed. "Anything else?"_**

**"_Dinner together as a family every night and if we can't make it for dinner, let each other know in advance."_**

**"_Sounds good," Derek agreed, kissing the top of her head. "You know what I'm thinking?"_**

**"_You're not going to let me near the kitchen to make a home cooked meal?" she joked._**

**_Derek chuckled. "No, but thanks for reminding me. I was actually thinking that we should seal the deal about our new family rules."_**

**_Meredith giggled. "Oh really? Sorry, I think I'm too tired tonight."_**

**"_Mer, please," Derek pleaded. "I brushed and flossed just for you. Please?"_**

**_Meredith rolled her eyes. "How can I say no to that?" she asked, moving her hands up under his shirt. _**

**"_You can't," he said, turning to shut off the light. "I'm McDreamy, remember?"_**

"Meredith," Carolyn said, coming up behind her and grabbing her arm gently. "I need to speak to you a minute. I want to introduce you to my sister, Linda. She is Derek's favorite aunt and, well, she suffers from mild dementia."

"Oh, okay. My mother had Alzheimer's so I know what to expect," Meredith answered.

"Yeah, but that's not why I wanted to speak to you," Carolyn said.

"Okay," Meredith said, slightly alarmed with Carolyn's demeanor. After the events that happened yesterday, Meredith was waiting for the talk from her. "Mom, before you say anything, I just wanted to say that I am very sorry for having sex with Derek in your pantry. I have no idea what came over me. Actually, I know what came over me. It was your son. Your son who obviously doesn't take no for an answer." Meredith motioned towards her husband, who was introducing his children to a few of his family members. "As you can see, we do have three kids." Carolyn bit her lip to avoid laughing as Meredith continued to ramble. "And if you want to introduce me as the slutty daughter in law it's fine. I understand."

"Meredith, stop it!" Carolyn ordered. "You are not slutty for having sex with your husband. I wasn't going to bring up yesterday at all. As a matter of fact, from the words of my precious grandson, if you needed Derek to scratch your itch, then let him. Now, the reason why I wanted to speak to you is because my sister, Linda, thinks in her mind that Derek is still married to Addison ."

Meredith's eyes got wide. "Really? Derek didn't say anything to me."

Carolyn shook her head. "Derek doesn't know. I didn't tell him because I knew that if I told him, it would go in one ear and out the other. He forgot to tell you about the reunion, he forgot to tell you about the cookout, and I know for a fact that he would have forgotten to tell you about this."

"Okay, so what happens now?" Meredith asked.

"I introduce you and we'll keep reminding her that you are not Addison , okay? Oh, another thing. She's lacking a filter."

Meredith nodded. "Got it."

Carolyn let her to the table where her three sisters sat. "Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to Meredith Shepherd, my daughter in law." Meredith pasted on a fake smile as Carolyn's sisters said hello. "Meredith," Carolyn continued. "These are my sisters, Shirley, Linda, and Alice." Meredith shook all of their hands and sat down with Carolyn at the table.

"Meredith," Shirley said. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for coming."

Meredith talked with Carolyn and her sisters for awhile until Linda spoke up.

"Carolyn," Linda said. "I am so glad that she got rid of that red hair. She looks so much better as a dark blonde." She eyed Meredith up and down.

"Who are you talking about?" Carolyn said.

"Addison ," Linda said. "And I can't believe that Derek finally talked her into having children. I always thought she was inept. Especially after that Thanksgiving when she gave Nancy food poisoning."

Meredith and Carolyn exchanged amused glances with Alice and Shirley. "Linda, Derek and Addison got divorced years ago, remember? When he moved to Seattle?" Carolyn reminded her. Linda nodded slowly as she remembered. "This is Meredith, Derek's new wife. They've been married for six years and they live in Seattle . Derek and Meredith have three children."

"Meredith?" Linda scrunched her face up. "The slutty intern?" Meredith looked towards the sky.

Angela sat down at the table and put her arm around Meredith in comfort. "Meredith is not slutty, Aunt Linda. She's Derek's wife and the mother of my nephews and niece. She's wonderful." She gave Meredith a reassuring smile.

"She is fabulous, Linda," Carolyn said, puffing up in pride. "As a matter of fact, she was just at a medical conference in Boston this past week because she found a cure for diabetes." Shirley and Alice gasped at the information.

"That's wonderful, Meredith," Alice exclaimed.

"You did?" Linda asked, her brow furrowed.

"Yes, ma'am," Meredith said quickly. "It's still in the early stages, but the procedure has been proven effective."

"I thought you were a gynecologist," Linda replied. "Diabetes is far from the vagina, Addison ."

"My name is Meredith and I am not a gynecologist. I am a general surgeon," Meredith said. "I am Derek's wife. He and Addison divorced a long time ago."

"Thank God!" Jennifer said, coming up to the table. "We love Meredith."

"Who's Meredith?" Linda asked. "Oh, right, Derek's wife."

"Right," Carolyn nodded. "And wait till you meet their children."

"My, Addison has really changed her looks, hasn't she?" Linda asked Shirley in a hushed voice.

* * *

Meredith walked into the kitchen that night after the reunion. She had left Derek upstairs reminiscing over his old high school yearbooks. She had to get out of there. She'd heard the stories from Mark and Derek's sisters that he had the afro and the acne in high school, but she didn't quite understand the extent until she got a glimpse of the yearbook. Her husband was definitely a geek in high school. She realized that quickly as he flipped through his yearbooks, showing her pictures and telling her stories. She was to the point where she needed a drink.

"Oh, hey Nancy," Meredith said as she walked into the kitchen. Nancy was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper and sipping on a glass of wine

"Meredith," she smiled. "Just the person I wanted to see. Come and sit. Do you want some wine?"

"Uh, sure," Meredith said, sitting down in the chair across from her. She could see this situation getting awkward. "Just a little, though. I left Derek upstairs with his yearbooks."

Nancy laughed. "Quite the geek in high school, huh?" she asked, pouring Meredith some wine.

"He definitely had the afro and acne," Meredith accepted the glass. " You'd never know it to see him now."

Nancy sat back down and they sat in silence for awhile. Finally, Nancy spoke. "Meredith," she said. "I know that you and I never got off to a good start when I visited Derek in Seattle. She paused to sip her wine. "I treated you rudely and I'm sorry," she confessed.

"Nancy," Meredith started.

"No, let me finish," Nancy said quickly. "I didn't understand what Derek was doing. I mean, he was married to Addison for eleven years and it seemed that he was just throwing that away at the time on a fling. But, the more Derek told me about the situation the more I realized that Addison was not the one for my brother, especially to hurt him like that with his best friend."

"It was very hard for him," Meredith said. "It was hard for us."

Nancy nodded. "And now, I see how happy he is with you. You two have the three most beautiful children and all he's ever wanted in life, besides becoming a neurosurgeon, is to be a dad." Nancy smiled at her and shrugged. "Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being a bitch."

They were interrupted by Derek, who walked into the kitchen carrying his yearbook. "Mer, here's the picture I was telling you about when Mark and I dressed up like girls for Halloween," he chuckled at the picture. "Mark actually put on fake eyelashes with super glue and then couldn't get them off," he looked up and noticed Nancy. He gave Meredith a concerned look and she smiled back at him reassuringly. "Did I interrupt you two?" he asked.

"Nope," Nancy said. "We're just talking."

"About what?" Derek asked, sitting down beside Meredith and grabbing her wine glass. He took a long sip.

"Acne and afros," Meredith said. She and Nancy looked at each other and broke out into laughter.

"Funny," Derek said, closing his yearbook. He looked from Nancy to Meredith and back. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Meredith said. "Nancy and I were just..."

"Setting the record straight," Nancy finished.

"Good," Derek said slowly, looking at Meredith. Meredith gave him an 'I'll tell you later' look.

"Now," Nancy said, looking at Meredith. "I want to hear all about this clinical trial that's made you a medical legend clear over here on the east coast."

**One more….Leave me comments, PUHLEASE??? Depending on how many reviews I get for this chapter and the next will determine if I'll write an epilogue for this story J Bribery…it's a wonderful thing!**


	30. Decisions of the Heart

**Disclaimer: After 29 chapters, it's still not mine.**

**Okay, this is it. The last chapter of this story. A story that once was a one shot, then a one shot with an epilogue. Now, I never thought that Glorious Day would get to be this big. It happened this way thanks to all the readers who showed an interest in it. Thanks to everyone for the positive feedback that gave me the courage to continue writing this story. My motivation behind it was all of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Decisions of the Heart**

Meredith sorted through the paperwork with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was sitting at her kitchen table filling out a kindergarten registration packet for Noah. It seemed like yesterday that they were bringing him home from the hospital and finally becoming a family. She could feel the anxiety rising in the pit of her stomach. Where did the time go? She wiped her eyes hastily and started filling in the sections. She may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but the kid needed to go to school.

Derek walked into the kitchen from the garage. "Hey," he greeted her. "Mail call." He held up to large piles of envelopes. "You should have seen how these were stuffed in the mailbox. They're all addressed to you, from pretty much every hospital on the east coast."

Meredith looked up briefly. "Just stick them with the rest of the pile on the stand." She motioned to the stand entering the living room. "I'll look at them later."

Derek walked past her towards the stand, but stopped to kiss the top of her head. He added the envelopes to the already enormous pile on the sand, all unopened. He chuckled inwardly at the sight. After Meredith presented her clinical trial at Massachusetts General over two months ago, she began receiving tons of mail from different hospitals all over the country. Derek was curious as to what was inside, but Meredith kept putting off opening them. "Mer, there's like twenty envelopes on this stand," he informed her.

"I know," she said blankly. "I just haven't had time to open them. I have more important things to do." She held up Noah's registration papers to him and smiled sadly.

"Ah," Derek said. "You okay?"

"No," she said softly. "But we have to send him or they'll stick us in jail."

"Good reason," Derek laughed. "But maybe they'd put us in a cell together." He gave her a suggestive look.

Meredith rolled her eyes. Her husband was hopeless. No matter what conversation they were in, he somehow always managed to steer it towards sex. "There's a meeting next Thursday at seven for parents with children starting kindergarten. Do you think you can go?" She asked.

Derek nodded. "I already told Richard that I wasn't missing it and neither were you. He knows not to schedule us for anything." He paused. "Speaking of Richard, I heard you have a meeting with him tomorrow."

Meredith sighed. "Yes, he probably wants me to talk to me about my next stop on the 'Meredith Grey Clinical Trial Tour'". Richard had sent Meredith to five hospitals in the past two months to talk about her clinical trial. "He's like a kid in a candy story with this medical breakthrough. The hospital is getting a lot of attention."

"So is the medical legend responsible for the medical breakthrough," Derek reminded her, motioning towards the envelope covered stand. "You can be excited about this, Meredith."

"I am," she said flatly. "I'm just distracted with…stuff."

"Like your baby starting kindergarten soon, your other baby starting preschool, and your baby girl trying to walk already?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, that," she answered, sighing deeply. "This is really hard, Derek."

Derek walked over to her and pulled her up out of the chair so he could sit down. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She nuzzled her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I know it is," he murmured in her ear. "It's hard for me, too. But they can't stay babies forever. I personally want to see how the world reacts to our kids. It could get very interesting."

Meredith giggled softly. "They are very determined and headstrong," she agreed.

"Like their mother," he said. "Who, if she doesn't get her determination back soon, will pass up some great opportunities by not opening those envelopes on that stand over there."

Meredith sighed. "I'll open them," she said. "I'll have time tomorrow. Right now I'm a mother filling out kindergarten registration forms."

Derek smiled and picked up the paper Meredith was filling out. "Oh, under child's qualities, don't forget to mention he has great hair."

* * *

"What if he doesn't make friends?" Meredith asked Derek as they got ready for bed. "What if the kids…make fun of his hair or something? Off the bed, Dog," Meredith scooted Dog from their bed and he quickly moved to the floor.

Derek looked up from the show he was watching on the television. "My son will have the best hair in the entire school. Kids will not make fun of him for anything. He's a great kid."

Meredith crawled over him to her spot, stopping as she straddled him to kiss him quickly. "Kids are cruel, Derek. You know that and I know that. You were teased in school for…reasons we will not mention and I was teased because I had a lisp. Kids find things to tease each other about."

"Mer," Derek sighed, turning off the television. "Noah made all kinds of friends in preschool and it will be the same thing once kindergarten starts."

Meredith moved under the covers and curled herself around him. "I may need medicated," she joked. "As the time gets closer."

Derek ran his hands through her hair and smiled. "I can write you a script." He grunted as she smacked him on the side. "Trying to be supportive," he defended himself.

"Right," Meredith rolled her eyes. "A good husband would try to distract his wife from the thoughts that are causing her to freak out," she hinted.

Derek's eyebrows arched at her suggestion. "How would you like for me to distract you?"

Meredith looked up at his eager face and giggled. She rolled over on her back, grabbing his shirt for him to follow her. "I can think of one thing," she whispered as he placed his lips on hers and kissed her softly.

Meredith sighed in satisfaction as his warm hands went under her shirt as he devoured her neck. He tugged at the hem of her shirt and she quickly raised her arms so he could take it off. She closed her eyes, enjoying her husband's lips against her skin. Her satisfaction was short lived when she realized that they were being watched. She opened her eyes quickly and her eyes met ice blue ones. Dog was watching them from his spot on the floor. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on her husband's hands and lips, but the stare was intense.

"Derek," she murmured, trying to get his attention as he trailed his lips across her stomach and made his way to her chest. He trailed his tongue along her breasts. "Derek," she repeated.

"Hmmm," he replied, moaning as he licked and sucked at her nipple. Meredith's eyes rolled back in her head. ""We have a problem," she managed to say.

"I know," he murmured. "You and I both still have clothes on." His hands trailed down her body and tugged at the drawstring of her pajama pants.

"No, not that," she said, allowing him to remove her pants. He sat up on his knees and removed his pants, throwing their clothes to the floor. His eyes scanned her body as she lay there in her naked glory. "I don't see a problem," he husked.

"The dog is staring," she said, putting her foot against his chest so he couldn't move towards her. "Look."

Derek turned his head to Dog, who continued to stare at them intensely. "Who cares if he stares," Derek said. "He's probably jealous that I'm getting laid and he's not." He tried to move towards her, but her foot remained in place. "Mer," he groaned. "He's a dog."

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "A dog who is staring at us as we get it on. I can't concentrate with him looking at us like that, Derek."

Derek exhaled loudly and turned back to the dog. "Dog, go away," he said. Dog sat up and barked at him. " I'd want to see her naked, too, but she said she won't have sex with me if you're staring at her."

Meredith giggled as Dog howled his response, swatting his paw at them. Derek looked at her pathetically. "Mer, he's not leaving and I'm horny. I'll distract you from it, I promise." He removed her leg from his chest and moved towards her. Dog quickly moved towards them, growling. Derek backed away from Meredith quickly and glared at him. "Go away, Dog," he said. "Go find your own woman. This one is mine."

Meredith giggled. "You're crazy!"

Derek smiled and moved towards her again. Dog once again, moved closer and growled. Derek backed away again. "He won't let me near you," he pouted. "We do have a problem."

"Now what do we do?" she asked, running her foot up and down his inner thigh.

Derek inhaled sharply and looked down at her foot "The bathroom has a door. We'll go in separately so he doesn't get suspicious and then we'll lock him out. You go first and I'll follow." He patted her thigh. "Go!"

Meredith got out of bed quickly, laughing as she made her way to the bathroom. Dog watched her as she went. Derek quickly followed her, glaring at Dog as he passed. "Cock blocker," he taunted. Dog growled at him and jumped back on the bed.

* * *

Meredith sat on the sofa in Richard's office and waited for him to finish a telephone call. He hung up and gave her a small smile. "Your presentations went well," he said. "Every hospital that you spoke at wants you to come back to lead their surgical team in the procedure."

"Wow," Meredith said. "That's incredible."

Richard stood up and walked around his desk, leaning against the front of it with his hands in his pockets. "As a matter of fact, I've had numerous phone calls from prestigious hospitals requesting the same thing."

Both looked up as Patricia entered the room. "The contract you wanted, sir," she said, handing him a folder.

"Thank you," Richard said and watched as Patricia left. He moved to closer to Meredith, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. "Meredith, I hope that you will pioneer this procedure. It is a phenomenal medical breakthrough that will help millions of people."

Meredith nodded. "I plan on it, sir," she said.

"That's good," he smiled. "Anyway, the reason why I requested to see you is for another reason." He stood up and cleared his throat. "I have had the opportunity to speak with the medical board in regards to your clinical trial. To put it bluntly, they are very impressed and would like for you to remain on staff permanently." Meredith gave him a confused look. He handed her the folder. "As the head of general surgery," he said.

"What?" Meredith managed to choke out. "Head of g-general surgery?" She held the folder unopened in her hands.

"Yes, Dr. Holmes will be retiring in the next few months and the position will need to be filled," Richard said.

"What about Dr. Bailey?" she squeaked. Dr. Bailey deserved this more.

"Dr. Bailey has decided to switch specialties to pediatric cardiothoracic. Don't ask me why," he frowned. "She's made it very clear that she's not interested in the position. Please review the contract in your hands, speak to Derek, and get back to me by the end of the week on whether or not you'll accept." He moved back to his desk. "That's all," he said when he noticed that Meredith hadn't moved from the sofa. Meredith stood up shakily and slowly made her way to the door.

"Oh, Meredith," Richard said.

"Yes, sir?" She turned around in the doorway.

"I've watched you develop as a surgeon since you've started this program as an intern. I'm proud that the training that you've received at this hospital has helped you to become so successful. I can't speak for your mother, but I do know that she would be proud; proud of you as a surgeon, a wife and mother. You're an extraordinary person, Meredith."

Meredith was taken aback. "Thank you, sir," she managed to say as she turned to leave his office with the folder in her hand. She sighed to herself as she walked down the hall. Her mind traveled to the enormous pile of unopened envelopes on the stand in her living room. She had a lot of decisions to make.

**"_What do you see, Dr. Mostow?" Meredith asked as they performed a tonsillectomy on a thirty year old man. Steve moved to see what Meredith was talking about, suctioning as he did._**

**"_His adenoids are huge," Steve informed her. "It's no wonder his wife complained of his snoring and kicked him out of bed."_**

**"_Because his adenoids are inflamed, what does that mean?" Meredith asked._**

**"_We'll have to remove the adenoids along with the tonsils," Steve answered._**

**"_Correct," Meredith said. "Believe it or not, Dr. Mostow, it is very common to be misdiagnosed with sleep apnea when you have enlarged tonsils and or adenoids."_**

_**Steve nodded. "Right, I remember reading that somewhere."**_

**"_In our patient's case, his apnea will most likely be eliminated with the removal of his tonsils and adenoids," Meredith continued. "However, he will have a painful recovery. Getting your tonsils removed when you're thirty is not like getting them removed when you are ten."_**

_**Steve nodded. "I had my tonsils removed when I was six. The doctor told my parents that I was a real trooper."**_

**"_I bet you were," Meredith said, rolling her eyes._**

**"_Did you have your tonsils removed, Dr. Grey?" Steve asked._**

**"_No," Meredith replied, taking the scalpel that the scrub nurse handed her. _**

**"_That could be the reason you snore," Steve said, then his eyes immediately became wide with the realization of what he just said. "I mean…I…oh, boy."_**

**"_I do not snore, Dr. Mostow," Meredith glared. "Who told you that I snore?"_**

**"_Umm…uh…" he stammered. "I've actually heard you in the on call room, ma'am. Sometimes I can hear you clear down the hall at the nurse's station." Meredith stared at him. "There are times that it's so bad that if residents know that you're in there, they will use the room on two or sleep in the beds in the hallway." He quickly looked back down at the patient and started suctioning again._**

**"_Boy aren't you just full of information today," she snapped. "What do you do? Follow me around all day to find out when I'm sleeping and when I'm not?'_**

**"**_**Not at all, Dr. Grey," Steve said. "Dr. Shepherd lets me know and then I tell everyone."**_

Derek entered his bedroom quietly, trying to avoid waking Meredith up. He had a late surgery and was just getting home. The lights were off but Derek noticed the papers that were scattered all over the floor. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and quietly climbed in bed. As soon as he closed his eyes, Meredith sat up quickly and turned the light on. "The medical board is offering me head of general," she said.

"I know," Derek replied, his eyes remaining closed.

"You know?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Derek opened his eyes and sat up. "Because, it's not my place to tell you and this is your decision, Meredith."

"Yeah," she agreed. "But this affects you, too."

Derek nodded. "And we can talk about it," he said. "I see you opened your letters," he motioned at the papers on the floor.

"Mass General has offered me a position there. Pay is nice, but not sure about moving back to Boston ," she leaned against the headboard and remained silent.

Derek observed her for a moment and got out of bed, picking up the mass of papers on the floor. He sorted through the pile, reading the letterheads. "Johns Hopkins, Mt. Sinai , UCLA, Vanderbilt," he looked at her for a moment before continuing. " Cleveland Clinic, New York-Presbyterian, CHOP in Philadelphia , and Mayo Clinic!" Derek's mouth dropped in amazement. "Meredith, holy shit!"

She handed him another paper. "And Mercy West," she said, giggling slightly.

"Meredith, do you realize the opportunities you have here?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

Derek chuckled. "Don't sound so enthusiastic. What did Seattle Grace offer you?"

Meredith handed him the folder. "See for yourself."

Derek opened it and his mouth dropped when he saw the offered salary. "Holy commas," he said.

"Yep," she agreed.

"Every Saturday off, three weeks paid vacation per year, daily sex dates with the head of neurosurgery…"

"It doesn't say that," she exclaimed, swatting him on the arm.

"I know, but I can request that it be put in your contract," he said. "That is, if you decide to take the job."

Meredith bit her lip. "By far, Seattle Grace's proposal sounds the best," she said. "It is the most accommodating for our family, and I'd be the head of general surgery."

Derek nodded. "That's because Richard knows your capabilities. He knows how deserving you are of this. You should have seen him at our meeting, talking about you and your clinical trial. He was smiling from ear to ear. He's going to try everything in his power to keep you here."

"Well, what do you think?" Meredith asked him.

Derek sighed, "I think that this is your decision, Meredith. No matter what you decide, I'm behind you one hundred percent. I can get a job anywhere, this is about you."

Meredith shook her head. "This is about all of us, Derek. This is about you and me and our kids."

"We'll adapt to whatever you decide," he said pointedly.

Meredith sighed. "Well, if I take a position on the east coast, we'll be closer to your family," she said. He nodded. "But if we stay here, nothing will change." He nodded again. She exhaled loudly. "Working at Johns Hopkins would be great, too. Or Mayo Clinic for that matter."

"They all are great opportunities," Derek agreed, rubbing her arm.

"How do I choose?" she asked. "How do I pick which one?"

"Meredith," he reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. "You follow your heart."

_**Meredith sat in the chair at the Picture Place, waiting patiently (okay, not so much) for Derek to return her children so that they could get their Christmas photos done. He and the boys had been gone for over thirty minutes. Derek told her that he had to "prep" his boys' hair before their pictures, reminding her that for the first twenty years of his life, he sported an afro in every family photo and he would not allow the same thing to happen to his boys. He had packed an array of hair care supplies in Cole's diaper bag before they left and had taken the bag with him when he whisked Noah and Cole away to the bathroom. Now, after waiting a half hour, Meredith was slightly agitated.**_

**"_Meredith Shepherd," the photographer announced. "We're ready for you now."_**

**"_Great," she said, getting out of the chair. "They're in the bathroom with their father. Let me get them." She walked to the front of the store where the bathrooms were and knocked on the men's room door. "Derek," she called. "They're ready for us." She waited for Derek to reply, but he didn't. "Derek," she said again. "Come on, their hair is fine. Let's go." Derek still didn't answer. She moved aside as a man walked towards the door. "Excuse me sir, when you go in there could you please tell my husband that the photographer is ready for us? You'll know it's my husband because he'll have two cute little boys and a fifty pound bag of hair care products with him." _**

_**The man smiled and nodded and went through the door. He came back out moments later. "I'm sorry, miss, but no one is in here." He smiled apologetically.**_

**"_What?" Meredith said. "Where the hell did he take them?" The man shrugged._**

_**Meredith walked back to the photographer. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to find my husband and kids." **_

**"_We're back," Derek called as he walked into the store. _**

_**Meredith spun around to look at him and noticed that Noah and Cole had new haircuts. "Derek," she said. "Where were you? I thought you were going to the bathroom to fix their hair?"**_

_**Derek nodded. "I did, but Cole's cowlick wouldn't go down because his hair was too long. So, I panicked and took them to the salon two stores down to get haircuts."**_

_**Meredith rolled her eyes. "Are you serious? Their hair was fine. How'd you get both of their hair cut in thirty minutes? Surely the salon had a wait."**_

_**Derek smiled. "They did. But I bribed them."**_

**"_You bribed them?" Meredith asked. "How?"_**

_**Derek gave her a hesitant look. "I paid them off," he informed her. **_

**"_What!" she exclaimed._**

**"_Meredith," he huffed, looking at her impatiently. "This was an emergency!"_**

Meredith walked across the street to Joe's. Alex, Izzie, and Cristina had asked her to meet them there after work. Derek told her to go, saying that she needed time with her friends and that he'd take the kids home and make dinner. The past few days, Meredith thought nonstop about the opportunities that were currently in front of her. She needed to make a decision, and soon.

"Meredith!" Cristina called from the back of the bar as she spotted Meredith come through the door. Meredith smiled and walked back to where her friends were sitting.

"I ordered you an apple martini," Cristina said, pushing the drink towards her.

"Thanks," Meredith breathed, taking a sip from the straw. She looked up and noticed all three looking at her. "What?" she asked.

"Did you make a decision, yet?" Izzie asked, looking at her expectantly.

"No, not yet," Meredith replied, swirling the straw around her glass.

"Well," Izzie smirked. "Alex and I will be staying at Seattle Grace."

"Really?" Meredith asked.

"Yes," Izzie said. "I've been offered an attending position in OB , and Alex has been offered a position in plastics."

"That's great!" Meredith said. "You two must be so excited. I know how you wanted to stay in Seattle ."

"Yeah," Izzie said, glancing at Alex quickly. His face broke out in a wide grin. "It'll be easier with the baby," she said, smiling.

Meredith's mouth dropped open. "You're having a baby?" Meredith exclaimed.

"Congratulations," Cristina said. "When?"

"May," Alex said. "Seattle is home to us and this is where we want to raise our kids." He put his arm around Izzie and looked at Meredith. "I still can't get over how the chief offered you head of general. That's awesome. You're really giving Shepherd a run for his money."

"There's no competition between Derek and I. He's been nothing but supportive," Meredith said.

"What does he say about all of your other offers?" Cristina asked.

"He says it's my choice and he'll support me no matter what," Meredith replied. "Yeah, sweet, but it's making it very hard to make a decision."

"I met with the chief today," Cristina announced. "I was offered an attending position in cardiothoracics. Not head of, but it's only a matter of time before I am."

"Did you accept it?" Meredith asked.

Cristina held her stare for a moment. "Not yet. I'm not sure yet." Cristina had gotten as many offers from hospitals that Meredith did, if not more. She was making a name for herself in cardio and was a great asset to Seattle Grace.

Alex's pager suddenly went off. "Crap, I'm on call," he said, pulling his pager from his pocket. "Be right back," he got out the booth to make a phone call.

"Do you have it narrowed down?" Izzie asked.

"Yeah," Meredith replied. "Johns Hopkins , Mayo, New York-Presbyterian, and Seattle Grace."

"Wow," Izzie said. "Those are some great choices!" Her pager suddenly went off. "It's the ER," she said, getting up. Alex walked by the table and apologized that he needed to go back to the hospital because of a car accident. Izzie was paged because of a four month along pregnant woman who was injured in the crash. Both said their goodbyes and left.

"Okay," Meredith said to Cristina. "What's your decision?"

"What's yours?" Cristina asked.

"I asked you first," Meredith said.

"So? I asked you second," Cristina replied.

"I keep thinking about the salary the chief offered," Meredith said quietly. "And my contract is very family conscious."

"Owen wants to stay in Seattle, close to his mother. He asked me to marry him," Cristina said.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"He asked and I said yes," Cristina shrugged. "We've been together for six years."

"That's great news," Meredith smiled. "You're leaning towards Seattle Grace?"

"Are you?" Cristina asked.

"Just answer my question," Meredith challenged.

Both were silent. They stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"I'll stay if you do," Cristina said quickly.

"Fine," Meredith replied.

"Fine," Cristina repeated.

**"_You have the biggest stomach I've ever seen," Cristina announced. "How can you stand upright?"_**

_**Meredith turned to look at her. "Bitch," she replied. "You never said that the two other times I was pregnant." She pulled her scrub top over her head as she got dressed for rounds.**_

**"_That's because you're bigger with this baby than with the other Shepherd spawns," she replied. "And I don't remember your belly button sticking out that far before either." She reached over and poked at Meredith's protruding belly button and snickered. _**

**"_Ouch!" Meredith yelped. "Don't poke it, it freaking hurts! It was out this far before, I just covered it with a band aid." She quickly pulled her shirt over her stomach. "Stop looking at it."_**

**"_I'm not. Did you know you have two pink stretch marks?" Cristina asked._**

**"_What!" Meredith exclaimed. "Where?" She lifted her shirt back up._**

**"_There…and…there," Cristina pointed at the stretch marks on the underside of her stomach. _**

**"_I can't see them!" Meredith exclaimed. _**

_**Cristina rolled her eyes and grabbed her hand held mirror from her locker. She angled it so that Meredith could see. "Iz, come see Meredith's strech marks!"**_

_**Izzie smiled and walked over to them. "Ooh, they're big," she remarked.**_

**"_Shut up!" Meredith yelled._**

**"_Are they new?" Cristina asked. _**

_**Meredith sighed. "I never got stretch marks with the boys," she informed her. "The doctor said I was extremely lucky."**_

**"_Not anymore," Cristina laughed. "You have two now. But look on the bright side; at least you can't see them."_**

**"_Mer, this baby is a girl," Izzie decided. "Derek is right."_**

**"_What makes you think that this baby is a girl?" Meredith asked, handing Cristina's mirror back to her._**

**"_Old wives tales say that when a woman is pregnant with a girl, the baby takes the mother's beauty from her," Izzie reported._**

**"_I see your point," Cristina said thoughtfully. "I mean, no offense, but you've looked like hell this entire pregnancy, Mer. You're pale, you have dark circles under your eyes, your ass is big, and your hair is," she reached out to touch Meredith's hair. "dull and lifeless."_**

_**Meredith rolled her eyes. "Would you like to tell me about anything else you notice wrong about me?"**_

**"_Your nose," Izzie observed. "It's wider."_**

_**Meredith touched her nose. She spun around to look at herself in the mirror. "It is not!" she argued. **_

**"_It is," Cristina said. _**

**"_What is?" Alex asked, walking into the resident's lounge._**

**"_Alex," Meredith said. "Is my nose wider?"_**

**"_Uh," Alex muttered. "Why?"_**

**"_These two people who say they are my friends just told me that my nose is wide, my ass is huge and I look like hell." Meredith glared at Izzie and Cristina._**

**"_You don't look like hell," Alex said. "But things do tend to…expand…you know, when you're pregnant." He avoided Meredith's gaze by staring at his shoes._**

_**Meredith looked at the three of them in disgust. "You people make me sick," she muttered. "And I'm not letting any of you hold my baby when it's born."**_

"Mommy, when I go to kindergarten, will I make friends?" Noah asked from his spot at the dinner table.

"You sure will," Meredith replied, spooning food into Hannah's mouth.

"Not only will you make friends, Tater, but you'll get to ride the big yellow bus," Derek said.

"Wow," Noah said in amazement. "I've wanted to ride a bus my whole life."

"Well, now that you're going to school, you'll get to." Meredith smiled at him.

"I wanna ride a bus, too," Cole pouted from his seat. "I wanna go."

"Cole, you get to start preschool this year," Meredith informed him. "Remember Miss Tracy, Noah's teacher? She'll be your teacher now."

"I like Miss Twacy," Cole said. "Hers nice and hers has lotsa toys."

"You'll have a great time there, Bear," Derek said.

""I know, Daddy, and her's pwetty like you, Mommy."

"She is pretty," Derek agreed.

Meredith shot him a look.

"I meant you, Mommy," Derek clarified.

"Right," she rolled her eyes.

"Daddy," Noah asked. "How long will I be in kindergarten?"

"For about a year and then at this time next year you will be going into first grade, then the year after that second."

"At the school with the big, orange, swirly slide?" Noah asked. Derek and Meredith showed Noah the school that he would go to often because they passed it daily on their way to work. Silence lingered as Derek didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't know if Noah would stay at Gatewood Elementary with the big, orange, swirly slide. That was still up in the air. He looked at Meredith for her to answer.

"Yes, Noah. You will stay at Gatewood Elementary for a long time." She glanced at Derek, whose face was slowly forming into a wide smile. He looked at her in awe. "And in two more years," she continued. "Cole will go to there and then two years after that, Hannah will."

"And we might send Dog, too," Derek added, winking at Meredith.

Noah and Cole giggled. "Daddy! Dogs don't go to school," Noah said.

"Oh, right," Derek nodded. "What was I thinking?" He held Meredith's gaze and they smiled at each other.

"It's Saturday," Meredith said, shifting her gaze back to the kids. "What happens on Saturday night?"

"Movie night!" Cole yelled. "I get bwankets and piwows!"

"I'll get the movies!" Noah yelled.

"I'll get the popcorn," Derek said, standing up.

Meredith lifted Hannah out of her seat and kissed her cheek. "And, I'll get Hannah Banana," she whispered.

* * *

Meredith sat on the front porch swing enjoying the view of Seattle. The kids had all crashed during the movie and Derek had taken them upstairs to bed. She had cleaned up the living room and kitchen and decided to sit outside for awhile. She looked up when she heard Derek open the door, in search of her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied, "Kids asleep?'

"Out like lights," he chuckled, sitting down beside her and putting his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her cheek and she laid her head on his shoulder. Derek turned towards her and she looked up at him. He leaned in to kiss her deeply, sliding his tongue into her mouth, letting her know that he wanted more than just a make out session. She smiled as he pulled away suddenly and looked into her eyes.

"So, we're staying," he asked her, placing light kisses on her forehead, cheeks and chin.

"We're staying," she murmured, closing her eyes as he kissed the tip of her nose and then her lips.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I hoped that you'd want to stay in Seattle ." He kissed her neck, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Really?" she asked. "Why?

Derek pulled away to look at her, tracing her cheek with is thumb. " Seattle changed my life. I found the love of my life here, we got married here and our babies were born here. Amazing things happened to me in this city. We built this house together and we've made it our home. I don't want to leave it." He shrugged. "I'm emotionally attached to Seattle."

Meredith smiled, looking out at the city before them. " Seattle is our city," she agreed. "I mean, who knows where we'll be in ten years, but I know that right now, there is no place I'd rather be."

"I love you," he murmured, pulling her back into his arms to kiss her.

"I love you, too," she said against his lips. "You know," she kissed him one more time, "I'm under contract now and I'm already in violation of it."

Derek looked at her curiously. "How so?"

Meredith shrugged. "I haven't followed through on a very important clause."

"What clause?" Derek gave her a puzzled look.

"The sex every day with the head of neurosurgery clause," she smiled. "And I can't violate my terms of employment already." She shifted on the swing so that she straddled his lap. "I need a neurosurgeon. Know of any?"

Derek's face broke out in a wide grin. "You're in luck, Dr. Grey, because I just happen to be a neurosurgeon."

"Really?" Meredith teased, kissing a trail from his lips to his ear. "Will you show me your talents?" She stood up and walked towards the door, turning to smile at him and holding her hand out for him to take it.

Derek nodded, standing up and reaching for her hand. "We could be at it all night, Dr. Grey, because I am a very talented man." He gave her their look.

Meredith looked at him with complete admiration and love. "That's fine, Dr. Shepherd, because you have me for the rest of your life."

**The End**

**Thank you to all my wonderful readers who take the time to read and comment on my story. I appreciate every one of you. Also, I hope that people who've read the story from day one will finally let me know what they think about it, because it truly makes me happy. Give me about two weeks to post an epilogue. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys the season premiere of Grey's. I'll be watching with a box of tissues. **


	31. Epilogue: Glorious Life

**Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy is mine…ha ha, it so is not. I just had to say it, though.**

**This epilogue is pretty self explanatory. Thank you for reading**

**Epilogue: Glorious Life**

The football stadium at Roosevelt High School was packed with parents and family members as they waited for the graduating class to take the stage. Meredith scanned the crowd for her husband, who was running behind after a routine craniotomy turned into something more complicated. He had an intern call her while she was en route to the high school, telling her that he would be there as soon as he could and to save him a seat. Meredith felt the squeeze of anxiety overwhelm her stomach. It was probably the same thing her daughter was feeling as she waited to present her senior class as valedictorian. It was a bittersweet event.

_"Mom, I have never been this nervous in my entire life," Hannah complained as she took the straightener over a strand of her hair. "What if I forget my speech," her eyes got wider. "Or what if I start rambling? You know how I get when I'm nervous!"  
Meredith smiled at her basket case of a daughter. "You will do just fine. Daddy and I will be there. Keep your eyes focused on us and forget about everyone else."  
"Is that what you do?" Hannah turned to look at her. Meredith couldn't believe how her little girl had grown into such a beautiful young lady. Hannah favored Meredith physically, but she had inherited Derek's smile, personality, and love for the outdoors. It was no secret that she was the apple of his eye.  
"What?" Meredith asked, coming out of her train of thought.  
"Is that what you do when you're speaking at a medical conference? Focus on one person?" Hannah asked. "I've seen you when you're up on stage, Mom. You're completely calm. How do you do it?"  
"I focus on my family," she smiled at her daughter, taking the straightener from her to style the back of her hair. Through the years, Meredith traveled all over the county, pioneering the medical procedure that she founded. The American Medical Association deemed it 'The Grey Procedure' and became a family dinner table discussion.  
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Looking at Noah and Cole would distract me more," she said. "Maybe even make me vomit in my mouth a little."  
Meredith laughed. "You know you've missed them since they've been away at college. Don't deny it." Noah completed his undergraduate studies at Bowdoin, studying to be a neurosurgeon much to his father's delight. He would start Colombia Med in the fall. Cole, who wandered away from his father at the hospital one day and was later found in the gallery watching his Uncle Mark perform a face lift, had since then developed a strong interest in plastics. He was entering his junior year at Johns Hopkins and would most likely remain there for medical school, too. Hannah had been accepted to Dartmouth, but she wanted to go to law school to become a judge. Derek had teased her that the job would fit her to a tee because she was more bossy than her mother ever was.  
"It was short lived, Mom," Hannah sighed. "To think those morons will one day hold a patient's life in their hands." She shook her head and giggled, "Tragic."_

"Hey," Derek said, sliding into the spot beside Meredith and kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Did I miss anything?" he asked, putting his arm around her.  
"No, you made it in time," she looked at his watch. "With ten minutes to spare".  
" Where are Noah and Cole?" Derek asked, looking around for them.  
"They ran into some friends and are sitting with them," Meredith replied.  
"How is she? Did she flip out this morning?" Derek knew how nervous Hannah was about speaking on behalf of her senior class.  
"She's…okay. I told her to focus on us," she smiled.  
"So, I shouldn't fall asleep?" he joked. "Because she'll be watching us?"  
Meredith laughed. "Not if you want to stay on her good side. She still won't let you forget the time you bribed Noah and Cole into crashing her date."  
"Hey," Derek defended himself. "That wasn't all me. The boys thought he was a creep, too."

_Meredith stood at the nurse's station, scribbling notes in a patient's chart when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and noticed that it was Hannah. She frowned, knowing that Hannah was out on a date with Justin, her new love interest; A love interest that directly annoyed her brothers and, by proxy, annoyed her father. Noah mentioned at the dinner table one night about how Justin had more earrings than any girl in Hannah's grade. Derek became angry at that information, but became infuriated when Cole said that Justin was known at school for being a loud mouthed punk who had no respect for women.  
Later that evening, after being informed by Derek that this Justin boy would not set foot within ten feet of her, Hannah sobbed to Meredith about how her father needed to give him chance and he always treated her with respect. Meredith promised her that she would talk to her father about it and try her best to get him onboard with the dating Justin idea.  
Meredith approached the subject with Derek gingerly, knowing that the general idea of Hannah dating boys was a sensitive subject for him. She was sure just speaking of the topic made his blood pressure skyrocket.  
Meredith finally persuaded Derek to let her go when she promised him that she would tell Hannah that Justin needed to come inside to meet them when he came to pick her up. Hannah pouted slightly at that condition, but Meredith gently reminded her that it was that or she couldn't go.  
So, Justin made an appearance, his annoyance with the conditions evident in his nonverbal expressions. Meredith asked him a few questions about his family, and he grunted short answers in return with a slight edge in his voice. Derek remained quiet, leaning against the wall, his facial expressions changing from disgust to a glare depending on Justin's answers. After about ten awkward minutes, Hannah left with him. Then, Meredith was paged to the hospital, so she never did get to talk with Derek about it.  
"Hannah?" she answered into her phone.  
"Mom," Hannah sobbed. "Mommy!"  
"Han, what's wrong?" Meredith started to panic.  
"I hate them, Mom. Hate, hate, hate them!" Hannah yelled.  
"Who?" Meredith asked. "Where are you?"  
"I'm at Carla's," she sniffed. Carla was Hannah's best friend. "I called her to come and pick me up."  
"What happened to your date?" Meredith asked. "Is it over already?"  
"It's over alright" Hannah retorted. "He's never going to speak to me again after what happened."  
"What happened?" Meredith asked, half dreading the answer.  
"We were sitting in the movie theatre, enjoying the movie when Noah and Cole came out of nowhere and went all cave man on me and threatened Justin's life!"  
"What?" Meredith said. "Noah and Cole showed up at your date? What were they doing there?"  
"I have no idea, Mom!" she yelled. "All I know is Justin took off and left me there and I told my idiot brother's to get out of my face and later realized that I was stranded. So, I called Carla and she came to pick me up!"  
"I'll get you after I leave here," Meredith told her.  
"No, I will not come home until you do something about this, Mom. You know what, I'll call Daddy. He'll take care of this for me," Hannah said. Meredith sighed. She didn't have the heart to tell her daughter that her father was probably the person responsible for this. She should have known when she left for the hospital that Derek would do something like this.  
"Hannah, I will take care of this. I'm calling your brothers as soon as I hang up with you. Be ready around ten." She clicked her phone shut and closed her eyes briefly. She opened it back up and dialed Noah's number.  
"Hello, Seattle Morgue, you kill 'em, we'll chill 'em," Noah answered.  
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Noah, you're not funny. What did you do to your sister?"  
"What sister?" Noah asked. "I don't have a sister."  
"Noah," she warned. "Knock it off. Hannah said that you and Cole crashed her date. Is that true?"  
"Define crash," Noah asked. "I'll need some clarification before I answer. I think I might also want my lawyer present as well."  
Meredith exhaled loudly. "Is your brother with you?" she asked in a low voice. Getting a straight answer out of Noah was hopeless.  
"He's around here somewhere," Noah replied. "Cole!" he yelled loudly. Meredith could hear them shuffling the phone back and forth, whispering loudly to one another.  
Cole cleared his throat as he got on the phone. "Hello?" he said innocently.  
"Cole," Meredith said. "What did you and your brother do to your sister?"  
"Oh, hi, Mom," Cole said in a surprised voice. "How are you?"  
"Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "Your sister? Not so much. What did you two do to her?"  
Cole cleared his throat again. "We did nothing, Mom," he said. "We went to a movie and happened to coincidentally sit a few rows behind her and that creep, Justin. He put his arm around her and that pissed Noah off, so he went up and asked him to please remove his arm if he wanted to keep it. That's all."  
"That's all?" Meredith raised her eyebrows.  
"Well, no," Cole said. "Then creep boy got cocky, so Noah told him to make like a tree and leave and reminded him that Dad could kill him and make it look like an accident. So, he got scared and left. Then Hannah went all crazy on us, flipping out and telling us to get out of her face. So, we're at Burger King trying on the crowns."  
Meredith sighed. "You two both owe your sister an apology and who are you to tell Justin that your Dad would do that to him?"  
"Well, Dad told us to say that when he called us," Cole said. "He said that he didn't like the creep and he'd make sure we got Yankee season tickets, front row center I might mention, if we relayed that message to Justin for him. We were just doing what we were told, Mom, because we would never, ever disobey one of our parents."  
Meredith groaned. Her children were exhausting and even worse, so was her husband. _

"The Yankees had a great season that year," Derek said. "And that loser never came around again. I think it worked out well."  
Meredith stared at him. "She didn't talk to you for almost a month, Derek."  
Derek nodded. "I remember. It was the most peaceful month of my life. I can't believe she stayed quiet that long. That was a record, don't you think?"  
"No," Meredith said, scanning the graduation program. "Because while she wasn't talking to you, her mouth ran constantly to me. She never shut up."  
Derek laughed. "What did make her start talking to me again?"  
"When they thought we were getting a divorce," Meredith reminded him.

_Meredith pulled the pot roast out of the oven as Derek walked in the door from work. The last few weeks had been extremely busy and they hadn't been able to sit down as a family for dinner until tonight. Meredith's last surgery ended early today, so she had time to go home and prepare a nice meal.  
"Hey," Derek said, putting his briefcase near the door. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Smells good," he said, kissing her deeply. He moaned as he pulled away. "What's the occasion?"  
"It's the first night that you and I are home together in weeks. We'll all be here tonight, so I made a special dinner," she smiled.  
Derek smiled widely. "That reminds me, I haven't seen you much lately and I miss you. You're home for the evening?"  
"I am," she wiggled her eyebrows. "And the hot tub is calling our name tonight."  
Derek nodded, giving her a mischievous smile. "I'm going upstairs to change and while I'm up there, I'll turn it on so it's nice and hot for us later," he kissed her again. "Where are the kids?"  
"Upstairs," Meredith replied. "Doing their homework. Tell them dinner is ready."  
She finished setting the table as she waited for her family to come down for dinner. She heard the sound, resembling that of a herd of elephants, as they came down the stairs. All three of her children avoided eye contact with her and Derek as they sat at in their chairs and quietly ate their dinner.  
After about ten minutes of silence and exchanging several concerned glances with Derek, Meredith had finally had enough. "Okay," she announced, her fork clanging loudly against her plate as she dropped it. All three kids jumped at the sound and looked up at her. "What is going on?"  
The three exchanged awkward looks and remained silent. "Spill," Derek said in a no nonsense tone. "We're waiting."  
Finally, Hannah spoke up. "I just want to say that if you two decide to get a divorce, Carla's mom said that I can move in with them," Hannah said, bursting into tears. "I'm now a statistic!"  
"It's crap, Dad," Cole said. "You two are, or used to be, in love."  
"Rachel says her parents envy you two because you're so busy with work, but have a great life. You're dedicated to your family and you freaking love one another!" Noah exclaimed. Rachel was Noah's girlfriend. Mark had told Derek that the way Noah acted around Rachel, all giddy and love struck, reminded Mark of how Derek was over Meredith.  
"What?" Derek asked, looking at his children in confusion. "What are you talking about?"  
"We know something's up," Cole said. "You guys are avoiding each other by working all the time. Don't you think we haven't noticed that you're never together anymore?"  
"You never have sex anymore," Hannah added.  
"Excuse me?" Meredith squeaked. "How do you know that?"  
Mom," Hannah rolled her eyes. "You guys aren't exactly quiet. We all had to get ear plugs because you were so loud…all the time. Now, I haven't used my earplugs in three weeks."  
"We'd just appreciate you being honest with us," Noah said. "I'd hate to think that after all this time, my parents would get divorced, but whatever. Just tell us."  
Meredith looked at Derek as she sipped her water, silently telling him that he needed to deal with this. Her children actually invested in ear plugs because they had loud sex. They had always been aware that they were loud, but as the kids got older they made a conscious effort to keep the noise down. Apparently, not good enough, though.  
"First of all," Derek started. "Your mother and I are not getting a divorce. We are still in love and will still be in love when we're both dead and gone, and then several years after that. We haven't been around because things have been chaotic at the hospital with one general surgeon out on maternity leave and a neurosurgeon on sick leave, so your mom and I have had to pick up the slack."  
"Dad," Noah said, but Derek held up his hand.  
"And, for your information, we have been having sex, and a lot of it, just not at home under the curious ears of our children. Our offices have locks for a reason." He turned to Noah, "And if Rachel's parents are envious of your mother and me, that's good because I would be, too." He then turned to Cole. "And I think its crap that you automatically assume the worst when something is not right in this house. Next time, talk to us instead of attacking us at the dinner table. And you," he turned to Hannah, who was frantically wiping her tears. "You have gone all month without uttering two words to me, young lady. It's time you get off your high horse and remember that I am your father and I will do what's best for you. That Justin character is a creep and if you continue to bring losers like that around, you can expect the same thing to happen each time." Derek turned to Meredith and winked, reaching for her hand. "Oh, and so all three of you know, I'd break out the earplugs tonight if I were you because there will be a lot of very loud sex at some point."_

"That was a classic! I was a proud Mama at how you took charge of that situation," Meredith giggled. "You were so mad."  
"More frustrated than anything," Derek said. "You and I promised each other a long time ago that we would put our family first and I personally think that we've done a hell of a job in making sure that it happens."  
Meredith nodded, moving his arm from around her and intertwining their fingers together. "I think we made sure our kids had a great childhood. We went on family vacations, the boys played sports, and Hannah had sleepovers with friends.  
Derek slumped his shoulders and groaned. "Sleepovers, God!"  
Meredith patted his arm. "You survived it, though, dear."

_"Dr. Mrs. Shepherd Grey?" a twelve year old, mouth full of metal, Carla asked. "I'm confused."  
Meredith looked up from the cookbook she was reading. "What are you confused about, Carla?"  
"Why do you go by Dr. Grey at the hospital and Mrs. Shepherd at home?" Carla asked, sitting on one of the bar stools.  
"Because at home, I'm not a doctor, I'm a wife and a mother," Meredith said. Carla still looked confused. Meredith smiled, sitting down on the bar stool. "At the hospital, before I was married to Dr. Shepherd, I was Dr. Grey. After we got married, Dr. Shepherd and I discussed it, and although he wanted me to be Dr. Shepherd, too, he agreed that two Dr. Shepherds in one hospital would be rather confusing. So, because my medical degrees have Meredith Grey on them, we decided that it would be best for me to stay Dr. Grey. But, I am Mrs. Shepherd outside of the hospital."  
At the mention of Dr. Shepherd's name, Carla got a dreamy expression on her face. "If I were married to Dr. Shepherd, I would be Shepherd all the time."  
Meredith raised her eyebrows. "Where are the other girls, Carla?"  
"Oh," she stood up. "Hannah sent me to ask if you'd make us popcorn because we're watching Enchanted for the hundredth time. So, right now, you're Mrs. Shepherd?" Carla asked.  
"Yes," Meredith said. "I'm at home, so that's right."  
"That must be confusing for you," Carla giggled.  
Meredith smiled. "No, not really, Carla. I've been both for so long that it's really not."  
"How long have you and Dr. Shepherd been married?" Carla asked.  
Meredith knew Carla thought that Derek was hot and any tidbit of information Carla got about him sent her into dreamland. "Hannah's father and I have been married for almost eighteen years."  
"Wow," Carla said with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.  
"I'll bring in the popcorn when it's done," Meredith said.  
Carla giggled and went back into the living room. Meredith rolled her eyes as got the popcorn out of the cupboard and put it in the microwave. She smiled when she heard the kitchen door open. "Hey," she said, turning around and leaning against the kitchen counter.  
"Hey, yourself," Derek said, setting his briefcase down and quickly walking towards her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. "How was your day?"  
"Oh, great," Meredith said as a chorus of giggles filtered in from the living room.  
Derek's smile suddenly faded. "Oh, no," he groaned. "Tonight's the sleepover, isn't it?"  
"It is," Meredith nodded. "And a few girls have been asking where you are."  
Derek sighed. "Let me guess, Carla?"  
"You know it," Meredith laughed. "It's just," she paused as she tried to mimic the voice of a twelve year old. "Hannah, your dad is so hot."  
Derek nodded. "True, but I forgot about it and told Mark that we could watch the game here. You know how they all drool over him, too." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sent a text quickly. "Where are the boys?"  
"Upstairs, hiding," Meredith said, opening the microwave door and pouring the popcorn into a bowl.  
"Great, change of plans. We're going to Mark's to watch the game," Derek informed her.  
Meredith turned around to look at him in shock. "What? You are not leaving me with ten twelve year olds, Derek."  
Derek nodded. "Mer, yes, I'm having flashbacks of when my sisters had sleepovers. They are not pleasant thoughts. I'll make it up to you later," he gave her their look.  
"Fine, whatever, I'll call Cristina. She's off tonight and we'll make margaritas after the girls settle down."  
"Oh, please do. When she's been drinking, my wife makes sex very interesting," Derek said.  
"Who said anything about sex?" Meredith asked. She giggled at his wounded expression and handed him the bowl of popcorn. "Here, take this into your daughter and her friends and make all their twelve year old dreams come true."  
"Yes, dear," Derek said, kissing her cheek as he took the bowl. "What's in it for me?"  
"Margarita Meredith at Midnight," she winked.  
Derek's eyes grew wide. "I'll be home by eleven for the preview," he said, swatting her behind and walked towards the living room. He turned to look at her pathetically. "I'm going in," he announced, walking into the living room. "Good evening, ladies," he called. Meredith smiled when she heard the choruses of giggles at the arrival of her husband. Because, apparently, his ego wasn't big enough already._

"She looks like she's seen a ghost," Meredith whispered to Derek as the class took position on the stage and Hannah, pale in complexion, waited nervously to be called up to the podium. She quickly scanned the audience and found her parents, who waved to her. Meredith could see the relief in her face and her body relaxed a little.  
"Knock 'em dead, Hannah Banana!" someone yelled the other side of the stadium. Derek and Meredith looked at each other, knowing that it was Noah's voice. Hannah glared in the direction of the voice for a moment, but quickly recomposed herself.  
"Why do they do that to her?" Meredith asked. "They know how upset she gets when they embarrass her like that."  
"Because as her brothers, it's their job," Derek answered. "Remember her ballet recital?"

_"Why did we have to come?" Cole groaned, slumping down in his seat. "We're missing Aden's birthday party which is going on right this minute!"  
Derek looked down the row to his ten year old son. "Because Hannah comes to your baseball games. You are showing her that you care about her by coming to her recital," he reminded them.  
"I don't care about her stupid ballet recital," twelve year old Noah grumbled. "I want to go to Aden's party."  
"Too bad," Meredith said. "You both are going to sit here like supportive brothers and cheer her on."  
"They don't even have food here," Cole whined. "At Aden's party, they were having pizza and hoagies. I'm starving."  
"Me, too," Noah said.  
Derek sighed. "We'll get something to eat once this is over. Do you think that I enjoy coming to ballet recitals? Do you think that Mom enjoys going to baseball games? No, but we go because we know that our kids enjoy it."  
"Dad, you make Mom sit in the car at our games because of that one time when she got in Coach Wilson's face when he yelled at Noah for getting out at second base, remember?" Cole said. "Can we go and sit in the car?"  
"No!" Derek and Meredith said at the same time. "You're not going to the car, so sit in your seats and stop whining," Derek warned.  
"She's on," Meredith said, smiling as her daughter came out on stage. She looked adorable in her blue tutu and tights. Meredith had pulled her hair into a bun and did her makeup backstage before the recital. Hannah was slightly nervous, but Meredith reassured her that she knew the routine well and it would be a piece of cake. "Doesn't she look beautiful?" Meredith whispered to Derek. Derek smiled and nodded.  
Noah nudged Cole and he pointed at Hannah. They both began snickering. "Boys," Meredith hissed. "Knock it off!"  
"Hey, Hannah!" Noah yelled. "Your tutu is riding! Pick your wedgie!"  
Meredith gasped, "You two are in so much trouble when we get home!" she spat, ignoring the peals of laughter coming from the crowd. She looked at Derek for help, but he shaded his face from her so she couldn't see him laughing. She looked up at the stage and saw Hannah, who was glaring into the audience in their direction. "I'll wait for her backstage because I cannot stand any of you right now," Meredith huffed, getting out of her seat quickly and heading towards the exit. _

"I corrected him for it," Derek said. "After you left to go backstage."  
"Right," Meredith nodded. "Taking them to play laser tag after the recital was great punishment, Derek"  
"Who took Hannah to the spa with them a week after she snuck out of the house?" Derek reminded her.  
Meredith rolled her eyes. "That was different, Derek. She missed me and her way of telling me that was to act out behaviorally."  
Derek snorted. "Because she has such a hard time communicating verbally."  
"That weekend at the spa with your mom and I did her good," Meredith argued. "She knew that you and I were not happy with what she did and your mom and I talked to her about it."  
"As you were getting your toe nails painted?" Derek asked.  
"She never did it again, did she? It's too bad you're mom isn't here to see her," she said.  
Derek smiled and squeezed her hand. "I know," he whispered back. "She is so proud of her Dereka. What woman at ninety still goes with her bridge friends on a cruise?" At eighty nine, Carolyn was still as active as a woman in her forties. Hannah and her grandmother had a special relationship; partly because she was the last of the Shepherd grandchildren and partly because as Hannah grew and developed a personality, Carolyn realized how similar Derek and she were. Carolyn referred to her as "Dereka" and to this day, and only she could call her that and get away with it.  
"Your mom loves her bridge ladies," Meredith said. "Remember the time she invited us on that cruise and we left Cristina in charge at home?"  
Derek groaned. "That was not one of our better ideas."

_"Oh, hey, Mer," Cristina answered. CRASH!  
"What was that noise?" Meredith asked. "What's going on?"  
"Nothing, Mer, nothing at all. Hang on," Meredith heard Cristina cover the mouthpiece of the phone and yell something to the kids. "It blew up? Crap!" Meredith thought she heard Cristina say. Cristina came back on the line. "How's the cruise?"  
Meredith groaned inwardly. She and Derek were invited by his mother to go on an Alaskan cruise and they had made arrangements for Mark and Lexie to watch the kids for the week. At the last minute, Mark and Lexie both came down with the flu and were not able to watch them, and at such short notice. Alex and Izzie had their children to take care of and Meredith didn't want to burden them with more. The only one that was available was Cristina. Owen happened to be out of town that week at a medical conference and Meredith had heard her whine about it all week.  
At first, Derek was reluctant to let Cristina care for the kids, reminding her that Cristina had a hard time taking care of herself. Meredith argued that Cristina loved their kids, in her own twisted way, and she would never let anything happen to them. Derek finally agreed and Meredith called Cristina, asking her nicely and promising to take the annoying residents off her hands for an entire month.  
"The cruise is…fine," Meredith said, hearing her six year old daughter screaming in the background. "What's wrong with Hannah?"  
"Huh?" Cristina asked. "Oh, she's pissed because the Mini McDreamies won't let her watch her Barbie movie."  
"She has a TV in her room, Cris," Meredith reminded her. "Put it on for her in her room."  
"Yeah, that. Remember the crash a few minute ago?" Cristina asked.  
"Yeah," Meredith groaned. "Why?"  
"Your boys were playing Tarzan from her canopy bed and Noah accidentally kicked the TV off the stand. It blew up."  
Meredith's eyes grew wide. "They know they're not supposed to swing from her canopy rails! They could break them."  
"The canopy is fine. They broke the TV instead," Cristina said. "What do you want me to do with it?"  
"Do with what?" Meredith asked.  
"The TV, Mer?" Cristina sighed.  
Meredith groaned. "Put it in the garage," she mumbled. "What did they have for dinner?"  
"We ordered Chinese," Cristina said. "That meatloaf you made looked horrible. The kids refused to eat it."  
"There was nothing wrong with my meatloaf, Cristina. It looked just like the one in the picture. Besides, Cole hates Chinese food. What did he eat?" Meredith felt Derek's arm around her as he offered her a glass of champagne. Meredith grabbed it from him and immediately chugged it down. She handed it back to him and mouthed 'more'. He nodded with wide eyes and walked back to get the bottle, listening in on the conversation as he did.  
"He wanted steak," Cristina said.  
"Oh, okay," Meredith sighed in relief.  
"But you didn't have any, so I gave him the beef jerky that was in the pantry," Cristina explained.  
"We…there was no beef jerky in the pantry," Meredith said slowly.  
"Yeah, Mer, the bag beside the dog food," Cristina told her.  
"God, Christina!" Meredith cried, throwing herself in full panic mode. Derek handed her another glass of champagne and she chugged the second glass as well. She took a deep breath. "Do you still have the bag?"  
"Yeah, hang on," Meredith could hear Cristina rustling around. "It's a yellow bag with a cow on the front. It says Jerky Treats on it."  
"Cristina, how much did he eat?" Meredith asked.  
"Who?" Derek asked. "What's going on?"  
"He ate about half the bag and said he was full. Why?" Cristina asked.  
"It's a dog on the front of the bag and they are jerky treats for Dog, Cristina! You just fed my eight year old son dog treats for dinner!" Meredith yelled. Derek's mouth dropped open.  
"A dog? Yeah, I guess it does look like a dog now that you mention it. He seems okay, though, Mer. He's watching Family Guy."  
"Family Guy!" Meredith yelped. "They're not allowed to watch that! Go and shut it off. I need to make another call, so wait for me to call you back." Meredith hung up and immediately dialed Izzie's number.  
"Mer, what are you doing?" Derek asked. "Is everything okay?"  
Meredith held her hand up to him, silently telling him to wait a minute. "Izzie? Hey, it's Mer. I have a problem and I need your help. I know you're busy, but I'm willing to pay you an absurd amount of money if you would go to my house and take care of my children for the next few days. You will? I owe you my life, Iz! Do me a favor and call me when you get there and tell me, please tell me, that all of my children are still alive and unharmed. I thank you and once I fill Derek in on what's going on, he'll thank you, too."_

"I think it was beneficial to everyone that Owen and Cristina decided not to have kids," Derek said. "Could you imagine what they'd be like?"  
Meredith giggled at the thought. "You know, she still tells me that spending that weekend with our kids scarred her for life. Oh, Hannah's up next!" The crowd burst into applause as the principal finished his spiel and introduced the senior class' valedictorian, Hannah Shepherd. Derek and Meredith watched as Hannah made her way nervously up to the podium, holding index card in her hands. Her eyes remained focused on her parents, who smiled back at her reassuringly. She cleared her throat and began speaking, and Meredith could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

_"Mom, can I sleep with you?" Hannah asked.  
Meredith sat up and noticed her nine year old daughter standing in her doorway in her "Hello, Kitty" pajamas. "Yeah, sure. Daddy will be home tomorrow night, so I guess you can." Meredith patted Derek's side of the bed, motioning for Hannah to climb in. Hannah leaped into bed and snuggled against her mother. "Can't sleep?" Meredith said, wrapping her daughter in her arms.  
"No," Hannah said softly. "Just thinking."  
"About what?" Meredith asked, inhaling the scent of her daughter's coconut conditioner.  
"Monica's moving to Boston because her mom got a new job," Hannah sighed. "Her Dad will still be here in Seattle and Monica doesn't know when she'll see him again. She was really upset about it today at school."  
"That's too bad," Meredith said softly. "What's bothering you about it?"  
"How can she not see her Dad everyday? I know Daddy is on a trip, but he'll be back tomorrow. I couldn't imagine not seeing him everyday."  
"I think Daddy feels the same way about you and your brothers. How many times a day has he called this week?" Meredith said.  
Hannah giggled. "Today holds the record at seven times. Monica said that sometimes her mom doesn't get home until after she goes to bed and she doesn't see her for weeks at a time."  
"Sounds lonely," Meredith frowned at Hannah's statement. It sounded like Monica was reliving her lonely childhood. "Who will cook her dinner and get her ready for school?"  
"Her mom hired a nanny," Hannah said.  
"Ah," Meredith answered. She knew nannies all too well, too. "Having a nanny won't make it as lonely." Meredith closed her eyes, but Hannah kept talking.  
"Why don't we have a nanny?" Hannah asked.  
Meredith opened her eyes. "Because we don't need one," she answered. "Daddy and I made a decision a long time ago, when Noah was in my belly, that we would never hire a nanny to do our job for us. One of us will always be with you, and if something comes up that we both need to be at the hospital, then either Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie will be with you or Alex and Izzie. No matter what, you will always be with family."  
"Family is really important, huh?" Hannah said, turning to snuggle into her mother's chest.  
"You can be the most successful person in the world, Hannah, but it means nothing without having your family close to you. Your life could go to crap tomorrow and you're family will still be there by your side to support you. Daddy and I make sure that our family comes first and then our work second and we hope that you and your brothers think that way, too, when you get into your careers, get married and start having families of your own."  
"Who would be stupid enough to marry Noah and Cole?" Hannah protested.  
"Oh, two silly girls somewhere in this world," Meredith smiled.  
"I want to be just like you when I grow up," Hannah said sleepily, cuddling more into Meredith. "I love you, Mommy."  
Meredith kissed the top of her head. "Love you, too, Hannah Banana."_

Derek put his arm around Meredith and pulled her closer to him when he saw that she was crying. Both watched their daughter as she finished the last lines of her speech.  
Hannah looked up and smiled at her mother. "My advice to my class is this," Hannah said. "Look around at the people that are here to see you take this next step in your life, because they are your family. A wise person once told me this: Always put your family first in your life because when everything else goes to crap, your family will still be there by your side." The audience cheered loudly as Hannah sat back down in her seat with a relieved expression on her face. She looked out into the audience at her mother and they exchanged knowing smiles.  
"Spoken like a true Shepherd," Derek gloated. "I'm sure I told her that on one of our hikes in the woods. It was nice to see her reference me in her speech." Meredith shook her head at him as they watched the seniors get their diplomas. "What?" he asked, noticing the look she was giving him.  
She sighed and leaned in to kiss him. "You did good, Dad," she said.  
Derek's face broke out into a huge smile. "You did good, too, Mom. We did it together."

**  
"Hey, old boy," Meredith greeted Dog as she walked onto the front porch after Hannah's graduation ceremony. Hannah had gone with friends to her all night party, and Noah and Cole were on a double date with their girlfriends. The house had grown uncomfortably quiet very quickly. Dog looked up from where he was laying on the porch, but made no attempt to get up and greet her. He was still around, even at eighteen in people years. Meredith sat down on the swing and let out a deep breath that she was sure she held in the entire day.  
It was hard to believe that her little girl had just graduated from high school and would be heading across the country to Dartmouth in a few months, Cole would start his junior year at Johns Hopkins and Noah would start his first year of medical school at Colombia. Meredith sighed at the realization that her babies were all grown up. All of them grown up and working hard at making lives for themselves.  
"The kids won't be home for dinner," Derek said, coming out onto the porch. "Did you want to go somewhere nice tonight?" He scratched Dog's head, who thumped his tail against the porch floor in a greeting.  
"We can," Meredith said, not looking at him. She twisted her wedding band around her finger.  
Derek sat down beside her and put his arm around her. She immediately laid her head on his shoulders and sighed. "What happens now?" she whispered.  
"We continue being a family, Meredith," he said softly. "Just, now, our kids will be across the country away at school."  
"You're okay with that?" Meredith asked, slightly shocked at how laid back he was being about it.  
"Not entirely. It will be a change not having at least one of our kids here, but we know where they'll be, so we can go for weekends out to see them," he reassured her. "And don't forget that they'll be home for holidays and summers, too."  
"They have a home to come home to," Meredith said. "I never did."  
"You and I have created this home for them, Meredith. We did this," he said.  
"We did," she agreed.  
"Can I tell you something that has been in the back of my brain for a few months now?" Derek asked.  
"What?" Meredith asked, sitting up to look at him.  
Derek reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. "I've been thinking that you and I have not been alone for over twenty two years and it's about time we get back to being 'Derek and Meredith, The Couple'.  
Meredith smiled. "What does 'Derek and Meredith, The Couple' include?"  
Derek wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Remember us as a couple right after we got married?"  
Meredith laughed at the memory. They still lived in her mother's old house on Harper Lane, before their home was built. They had spent hours upon hours having sex in every spot they could think of, not worrying how loud they were being, and getting caught by her roommates on occasion. "Oh, yeah," she breathed. "I remember."  
"I think it's about time we relive that, don't you?" he asked, getting up and pulling her with him. "Right now?"  
"Right now," Meredith agreed.  
She followed him into the house and ran into him when he stopped suddenly. She looked over his shoulder and saw Noah and Cole lounging with their girlfriends on the loveseat and sofa. "Hey, guys, we thought you went to the movies." Derek said, slightly taken aback at their presence.  
"We decided to rent instead," Noah replied. "Cheaper." He looked at his mother, who was still standing behind Derek. "Hi, Mom, what's for dinner? We're starved."  
"Dinner?" Meredith asked.  
Cole nodded. "Yeah, that thing that you used to be really, really bad at but now all of my friends want to come over for dinner because they love your cooking."  
"They want dinner, Derek," Meredith said. "Does 'Derek and Meredith, The Couple', cook dinner for their kids?"  
Derek looked at her from over his shoulder. "No, we may have to transform into parents again, because I don't think they're leaving anytime soon," he whispered to her. "And they want food."  
"Apparently," Meredith said and then giggled. "'Derek and Meredith, The Couple' can wait. Our kids are hungry." She grabbed Derek's hand and pulled him into the kitchen.

**That's it. The end; The final look into the glorious lives of the Shepherd family. I hope that everyone liked this epilogue because I had a great time writing it, and at one point (which has never happened before while writing this story) I cried a little.  
I may try in the near future to write another fic. MerDer of course, but not sure what the story line will be.  
As always, comments are adored.  
Yours in Grey's,  
Amber  
xoxo**


End file.
